ResidentialBusiness

It’s official: AOL‘s dial-up internet has taken its last bow. AOL previously confirmed it would be pulling the plug on Tuesday (Sept. 30) — writing in a brief update on its support site last month that it “routinely evaluates” its offerings and had decided to discontinue dial-up, as well as associated software “optimized for older operating systems,” from its plans. Dial-up is now no longer advertised on AOL’s website. As of Wednesday, former company help pages like “connect to the internet with AOL Dialer” appeared unavailable — and nostalgic social media users took to the internet to say their final goodbyes. AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the World Wide Web for the first time when its dial-up service launched decades ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 90s and early 2000s. The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone line used to connect your computer online — along with frustrations of being kicked off the web if anyone else at home needed the landline for another call, and an endless bombardment of CDs mailed out by AOL to advertise free trials. Eventually, broadband and wireless offerings emerged and rose to dominance, doing away with dial-up’s quirks for most people accessing the internet today — but not everyone. A handful of consumers have continued to rely on internet services connected over telephone lines. In the U.S., according to Census Bureau data, an estimated 163,401 households were using dial-up alone to get online in 2023, representing just over 0.13% of all homes with internet subscriptions nationwide. While AOL was the largest dial-up internet provider for some time, it wasn’t the only one to emerge over the years. Some smaller internet providers continue to offer dial-up today. Regardless, the decline of dial-up has been a long time coming. And AOL shutting down its service arrives as other relics of the internet’s earlier days continue to disappear. Microsoft retired video calling service Skype just earlier this year — as well as Internet Explorer back in 2022. And in 2017, AOL discontinued its Instant Messenger — a chat platform that was once lauded as the biggest trend in online communication since email when it was founded in 1997, but later struggled to ward off rivals. AOL itself is far from the dominant internet player it was decades ago — when, beyond dial-up and IMs, the company also became known for its “You’ve got mail” catchphrase that greeted users who checked their inboxes, as famously displayed in the 1998 film starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan by the same name. Before it was America Online, AOL was founded as Quantum Computer Services in 1985. It soon rebranded and hit the public market in 1991. Near the height of the dot-com boom, AOL’s market value reached nearly $164 billion in 2000. But tumultuous years followed, and that valuation plummeted as the once-tech pioneer bounced between multiple owners. After a disastrous merger with Time Warner Inc., Verizon acquired AOL — which later sold AOL, along with Yahoo, to a private equity firm. AOL now operates under the larger Yahoo name. A spokesperson for Yahoo didn’t have any additional statements about the end of AOL’s dial-up when reached by The Associated Press on Wednesday, directing customers to its previous summer announcement. At the time, Verizon sold AOL in 2021, an anonymous source familiar with the transaction told CNBC that the number of AOL dial-up users was “in the low thousands” — down from 2.1 million when Verizon first moved to acquire AOL in 2015, and far below peak demand seen back in the 90s and early 2000s. But beyond dial-up, AOL continues to offer its free email services, as well as subscriptions that advertise identity protection and other tech support. —Wyatte Grantham-Philips, AP business writer View the full article

Amazon is pushing deeper into the grocery aisle with the launch of Amazon Grocery, a food brand that keeps most prices under $5. The idea of buying much of anything for $5 seems like a distant memory for most shoppers these days, as The President’s tariffs and persistent inflation keep the price of everyday consumer goods high with little relief in sight. Keenly aware of that, Amazon is looking to undercut the competition’s prices with its own newly unified private label brand for everything from eggs and pre-made salads to ground beef and olive oil. The company plans to expand its offerings to more grocery staples like frozen pasta, granola and cakes in the coming months. The company says that its new Amazon Grocery brand will merge its existing Amazon Fresh and Happy Belly brands into a single storefront for essentials. In its online grocery store, many items have already been relabeled digitally away from the Happy Belly and Amazon Fresh brands and given a makeover with a “modern, clean and distinctive” new design so shoppers can spot the line of core items easily, much like Target does with its in-house Good & Gather line. The new and rebranded Amazon Grocery lineup products are now available online and through the company’s brick and mortar Amazon Fresh stores. “During a time when consumers are particularly price-conscious, Amazon Grocery delivers more than 1,000 quality grocery items across all categories that don’t compromise on quality or taste – from fresh food items to crave-worthy snacks and pantry essentials – all at low, competitive prices that help customers stretch their grocery budgets further,” Amazon’s Vice President of Worldwide Grocery Stores and Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel said in a press release. Amazon’s big grocery push On paper, Amazon is trying to make its branding less confusing, differentiating its core grocery line from its other in-house brands like 365 from Whole Foods. But a year ago, Amazon made a similar announcement, hailing a value-minded “new private-label brand” called Amazon Saver. “From crackers and cookies to canned fruit and condiments, Amazon Saver offers affordable grocery essentials at a great value both in-store and online,” the company wrote in a press release at the time, highlighting that most Amazon Saver products would be priced under $5. Confusingly, the company claims that the new Amazon Grocery brand will complement its portfolio of private label products, including Amazon Saver, which apparently isn’t going away. It’s been almost a decade since Amazon bought Whole Foods in a then-shocking $13.7 billion deal that revealed the extent of the company’s master plan to dominate even offline shopping. The company’s commitment pushing deeper into selling wallet-friendly fridge and pantry staples is a sign that Amazon’s ambitions in the space haven’t yet been fully realized. In August, Amazon introduced same-day delivery service for perishable foods in 1,000 additional U.S. cities, with plans to double that coverage by the end of the year. The company’s ongoing aggressive expansion into on-demand grocery delivery puts the undisputed king of shopping on a collision course with grocery delivery competitors like Walmart, Target and Instacart. Not all of Amazon’s grocery experiments have been successful. Last month, the company announced that it would close all of its Amazon Fresh stores in the U.K. after “a thorough evaluation of business operations.” At the same time, the company noted its plans to expand its online grocery sales, doubling down on the “very substantial growth opportunities” in online grocery delivery. View the full article

Microsoft Teams strives to improve the heart of every successful project: good communication and team collaboration. Stakeholders, managers and teams must set expectations, deliver directions and collaborate for greater productivity. Whether people are under one roof or distributed across the globe, a shared platform like Microsoft Teams with an open channel for communicating is the glue that holds projects together. The market is saturated with team collaboration apps that promise the moon, but often deliver far less. Microsoft Teams is a dominant player in the field and with good reason. Microsoft offers a suite of products that are designed to keep businesses working more efficiently. What Is Microsoft Teams? Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based collaborative platform for online meetings and other business communication needs. It offers top-notch cybersecurity standards and multi-factor authentication to keep teams connected and organized. Microsoft Teams is part of Microsoft 365, which features its Office apps, cloud service and security and it’s available on Linux, Mac, IOS, Android and Windows devices. Though it was only introduced in 2017, it’s become a go-to tool for project teams of all sizes. Besides managing teams, most organizations manage projects. While Microsoft Teams is a great team communication tool, it’s not project management software. In addition to MS Teams, you should use software like ProjectManager. ProjectManager allows team leaders to plan, schedule, track and deliver projects successfully. Use Gantt charts, kanban boards, task lists and real-time dashboards and communication tools. Get started for free. /wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Gantt-chart-construction-CTA.webpLearn more How Does Microsoft Teams Work? Teams are first divided into channels that let participants chat, share files, schedule meetings and attend video conferences. There can be channels that address the entire organization, but if every conversation was posted in one place, it’d become too distracting. If you want to bring someone into a channel to respond to a question or just update them, you can tag them and invite them into the channel. Chats can happen one-on-one, too, for conversations need to be private. Outside of conversation, everyone who uses MS Teams has a site on SharePoint Online, which is Microsoft’s collaborative platform to share files and work together. It provides document storage and fully integrates with Office 365. Microsoft Teams Tools & Features Here’s a quick overview of the main tools Microsoft Teams offers. However, the availability of these features depends on the subscription plan. Video conferencing: Microsoft Teams is a robust video conferencing tool that allows organizations to hold virtual meetings with features such as file sharing, screen sharing, collaborative annotations, gallery & together modes, background effects, recording, and end-to-end encryption. Virtual events & webinars: Teams supports webinars and structured events: webinar support for up to 1,000 fully interactive attendees, with additional view-only capability for more participants. Real-time collaboration: Teams allows users to co-author and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft 365 files in real time. It also integrates with Microsoft Whiteboard, enabling shared visual brainstorming and idea mapping during meetings or sessions. Phone system (Teams Phone): Teams includes a cloud-based phone system offering VoIP and PSTN calling, auto attendants, call queues, voicemail (with transcription), call transfer, call routing and dial-pad integration. Instant messaging & chat: Teams provides persistent chat with rich text, emojis, GIFs, file sharing inside chat, scheduling messages, chat translation features, group chats, and threaded replies to keep conversation flows organized. Integrations: Teams integrates tightly with Microsoft products like Planner, SharePoint, OneDrive, Forms, Power Automate, and also supports third-party apps such as Adobe Creative Cloud, GitHub, Trello, and more via the Teams apps marketplace. Meeting recording & transcription: Many Teams plans let users record calls and meetings with cloud storage of recordings, plus automatic transcription and captions, enabling later review and search within spoken content. Breakout rooms & meeting roles: Teams supports breakout rooms in sessions (for smaller group discussions), role controls (presenters, attendees), meeting lobby control, and moderation features to manage large meetings effectively. Analytics & usage reporting: Admins can access call quality dashboards, meeting reports, attendance logs, and usage analytics to monitor performance, detect issues, and optimize Teams usage across the organization. Let’s review the main plans and pricing offered by Microsoft Teams to understand how it can be used by different types of users. Microsoft Teams Plans & Pricing Here’s an overview of the Microsoft Teams for Business subscription plans. These plans offer a 1-month free trial. Microsoft Teams Essentials: $4.00 per user per month, billed annually. Ideal for smaller teams that need to communicate with video calls and share files. Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6.00 per user per month, billed annually. Great for businesses that need a robust collaboration tool. Lets users collaborate online on Microsoft 365 apps and includes features such as Microsoft Whiteboard, business-class email and live captions, but it’s not suitable for webinar hosting. Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 per user per month, billed annually. The best choice for organizations that need all Microsoft Teams for Business features and webinar hosting tools. Learn more about Microsoft Teams for Business pricing plans Microsoft Teams can also be used for personal or family use. However, the home editions of MS Teams greatly differ from the business editions. Microsoft Teams (free): A free, limited version of Microsoft Teams with only 5 GB of online storage. Microsoft 365 Personal: This subscription plan costs $99.99 per year (or $9.99 monthly). It gives users access to 1 TB of cloud storage, Microsoft 365 apps, Outlook and some Microsoft Teams features. Microsoft 365 Family: This subscription plan costs $129.99 per year (or $12.99 monthly). It supports up to 6 users, includes Microsoft Teams home features, and provides up to 6 TB of total cloud storage (1 TB per person). Learn more about Microsoft Teams for Home pricing plans Benefits of Microsoft Teams The popularity of MS Teams is easily explained. As work grows increasingly online and teams work remotely, they require a collaboration platform that can keep people connected in real time, and working productively together becomes a paramount concern for businesses. There are many chat and video conferencing apps. So why choose Microsoft Teams over Slack, Zoom, Google Drive or GoToMeeting? Certainly, as part of the larger family of Microsoft products, it’s an attractive option. It’s already seamlessly integrated with ubiquitous apps such as Excel and Word. Plus, Teams has a simple design, is cloud-based and it’s easy to set up. Notifications can be set up so they show up on the screen, which helps keep everyone aligned. Also, Microsoft Teams offers task management functions such as to-do lists through Microsoft Planner. Another benefit is that everything is in one place. Because the Microsoft Teams app is integrated with Microsoft 365, teams can move from instant messages to email and document collaboration. Plus, the MS Teams app is always improving. Because of the evolution and integration, Microsoft Teams can be a real crowd-pleaser. Even with Mac users, as it can run on Mac operating systems, unlike Microsoft Project, which isn’t compatible with Apple products. Pros and Cons of Microsoft Teams It’s important to understand that MS Teams isn’t perfect. It does some things well, and in other areas, it falls short. Let’s take a look at where the program’s assets and deficits are. Microsoft Teams Pros Microsoft Teams sells itself as a way to increase productivity and strengthen communications, and it excels at both. The biggest pro of MS Teams is that it provides a seamless transition to the digital workplace. It connects teams individually and with online meetings. You can share files and tasks, all from one app. It integrates with a lot of third-party apps that further enhance the experience, especially if you work from home. Because you’re only using one app, you can better focus your attention on the essential work. There’s less sifting through old emails and looking for files you need to get your work done. The app provides transparency and keeps everyone on the same page and updated. This means the team is always aware of what it has to do. You don’t have to worry about disseminating materials, because there’s a depository in which to store them. It’s easy to notify people and tag them to bring them into a channel to help with the work. As work continues to migrate online, teams need a tool that can connect them. Having a portal to chat and share files makes remote work possible. Microsoft Teams Cons One of the challenges of using Teams is shifting away from Outlook. Moving it off can be a pain point. But for MS Teams to deliver all its promises, users need to migrate to Microsoft Teams. If you’re editing a doc in Word and want to share it, you can share directly in Teams, but the process may feel less intuitive than email for some users. Microsoft Teams doesn’t have a native group calendar view inside the app; users often rely on Outlook or SharePoint calendars for this function. If you’re looking for files, it can be a problem. While they’re accessible with a search, locating where they reside in SharePoint folders can be complex. MS Teams can create a complicated folder structure in SharePoint. If you try to move files into new folders outside of Teams, links and permissions may break. The online meetings have improved significantly with features like breakout rooms, live captions and recording, but some advanced webinar functions still require higher-tier plans. Guest access is supported, but setup and permissions can be restrictive, which sometimes causes frustration when collaborating with external users. Microsoft Teams FAQ Is Microsoft Teams Free? Yes, Microsoft Teams for Home has a free plan. However, if you’d like to use Microsoft Teams for Business, plans start at $4.00 per user per month for Microsoft Teams Essentials. Is Microsoft Teams Included in Microsoft 365? Yes, MS Teams is included with several Microsoft 365 subscriptions such as Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Business Basic and Business Standard. Microsoft Teams Essentials is a standalone paid plan and not bundled with Microsoft 365. Does Microsoft Teams Work on Mac? Yes, Microsoft Teams can be downloaded and installed on PCs and Macs. The online version of Teams can also be used on Mac. Microsoft Teams Integrates With ProjectManager for Project Management The advantages of Microsoft Teams outweigh the disadvantages, but while it connects teams and gives them a platform in which to dialogue, it doesn’t have project management features. If you’re managing a project, the Microsoft Teams app can’t do it alone. It needs the robust project management tools of ProjectManager. ProjectManager is award-winning software that can manage unlimited projects and tasks with unlimited file storage to act as a central hub for all your documentation. Unlike Microsoft Project, our tool works with both Apple and PC products. It’s also a lot easier to share work on our software than with SharePoint, making it an excellent Microsoft Project alternative. We’ve outlined some of our top project management features below. Plan With Gantt Charts Our online Gantt chart makes it easy to plan your projects with powerful features that control every aspect of your schedule. Just upload a task list, list them manually or use one of our industry-specific templates to help you get started. Managers can also import, view and edit existing Excel and Project (.mpp) files, providing more features than a basic Microsoft Project viewer. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/pm-gantt-screenshot.png Collaborate With Your Team Microsoft Teams only takes baby steps toward collaboration. With our software, you can easily invite team members, contractors and others and create tasks for them quickly and easily. Because the tool is cloud-based, it works on any computer web browser. You can create and update projects in real-time. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Notifications_Wide_Zoom-175.jpg Comments can be added at the task level to foster collaboration. Image files and documents can be added to tasks to help teams work together or provide detailed direction on how to execute the task. As tasks are updated, assigned team members receive email alerts and in-app notifications to keep everyone in the loop. Work Flexibly With Kanban Boards Besides creating dynamic project plans and collaborating in real-time, ProjectManager has multiple project views. You can create a task list to schedule your work or use kanban boards to visualize your workflow, manage backlogs and plan sprints. Calendars save important dates and much more. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Kanban_Marketing_Wide_Zoom-150_Moving-task-to-different-status.jpg Manage Resources Keeping your teams productive is why we have resource management tools, such as a workload chart that’s color-coded to show you who’s overallocated. You can reallocate resources right from the workload management page and balance the workload for greater productivity. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Workload_Wide_Zoom-175.jpg Track and Report Use our tool to manage your budget and resource costs. Plus, one-click reports give you detailed data that help you make better decisions. Reports can be filtered and shared with stakeholders to keep them updated. Real-time dashboards automatically calculate several project metrics and show them in easy-to-read graphs and charts. That high-level project view helps you monitor progress and performance. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dashboard_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150.jpg You can manage projects, programs and portfolios with our tool, with portfolio dashboards and roadmaps. We also have timesheets to streamline payroll and track the hours your team logs on their tasks. You can’t do that on the Microsoft Teams app. Unlike Microsoft, we have a three-tiered pricing plan. Choose the subscription that works best for you and your organization. Related Content Best Microsoft Project Alternatives Best Microsoft Planner Alternatives What Is Microsoft Project? Uses, Features and Pricing Microsoft Project Online: Pros, Cons and Free Alternatives Microsoft Project Viewer – How to View & Edit MPP Files Online MPP File Extension: What Is It & How to Open It Microsoft Project for Mac: How to Run MS Project Files on Your Mac MS Teams doesn’t have online backups or file sharing or even a free trial to see if the software is right for you. ProjectManager has unlimited file storage, easy sharing and manages every phase of your project. Plus, you can try it for free with our 30-day trial. Do it today and see how MS Teams and ProjectManager can work together to make your project successful. The post What Is Microsoft Teams? Uses, Plans, Features & Pricing appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. I've written a lot of e-bike reviews for Lifehacker, and almost all of the bikes have come from established companies like Canyon, Aventon, and Specialized. Though they came from big brands, you generally can't buy these bikes from large retailers like Amazon or Best Buy; you gotta buy 'em direct or through a bike shop. That means you have to put in a little more legwork to get one, but it's worth it. I always recommend test riding as many bikes as you can, and since those big box retailers tend to sell lower-priced e-bikes, the quality can vary wildly. To demonstrate this (and provide a general guide of red flags to look for in an e-bike), I'm comparing a fat-tire e-bike you can get at Walmart, The Magicyle Ocelot Pro, against a comparable, straight-to-consumer ride, The Aventon Aventure 3. At first glance, they seems similar—both are fat-tire trail bikes designed to be ridden on both local bike paths and a gravel roads—but there's a world of difference between them. The price of an e-bikeE-bikes are not cheap. For a reliable-but-not-flashy ride, you'll probably spend at least $1,500. You can buy e-bikes on Amazon for ridiculously low prices, like this e-mountain bike for $355, but I wouldn't ride this particular bike anywhere, let alone down a mountain. I'm a big fan of semi-disposable consumer goods in most cases, but not when it comes to safety; a powered vehicle that can reach speeds of nearly 30mph is not where you want to skimp. The Magicycle Ocelot Pro isn't one of these dirt-cheap bikes. They seem like they're somewhere between a no-name-special and a bike from a more established company. Unlike most bicycle companies, you can get Magicycles through larger retailers. The company lists the Ocelot Pro at $2,399 with a markdown to $1,499, but Walmart says the list price is $1,699. An Aventon Aventure 3 costs $1999, and can only be purchased through the company and partnered bike shops. Many people might think that because the Magicycle is cheaper and easier to purchase, the choice is obvious—but that $500 or so is the difference between one of the best e-bikes I've tested and one of the worst. Profit margins and cut corners Magicycle Ocelot Pro Electric Bike $1,699.99 at Walmart Get Deal Get Deal $1,699.99 at Walmart Manufacturers who sell through retail chains have a much larger base of potential buyers, but the downside is, generally, whippet-skinny profit margins. While I obviously don't know what Magicycle's profit-margins are like, my first impression of the Ocelot Pro was "corners were cut." Before I even gave it a test drive, I spun the front wheel. It's not aligned properly, which I noticed immediately: Getting a wheel sorted costs about $20 at your local bike shop, but many bike shops flat-out won't work on bicycles with parts that aren't from established companies. The Ocelot Pro is a mishmash of lower end components from brands like Shimano and parts with no manufacturer listed, so you could run into problems with repairs down the road. Speaking of non-name-brand parts, both WalMart's site and Magicycle's picture an Ocelot Pro with 20X4" tires from Kenda, a reputable tire company, but the tires on the actual bike have no name. Look: Credit: Stephen Johnson These anonymous tires might be fine, but how could you know? As promised, Aventon's bike has 26x4" Inova tires. Speaking of parts, the Aventure's suspension fork was made by Zoom. While not a top-of-the-line component, Zoom forks are a solid, lower-end component. Like its tires, the Ocelot's fork was made by no one, so who knows how it will perform? For casual riding, it would likely never make a difference, but these are both ostensibly all-terrain bikes that you can ride on gravel, which suggests a level of ruggedness that I wouldn't feel comfortable trusting to a mystery suspension fork. Speed testBoth the Aventure 3 and the the Ocelot Pro are legally classified as "class 3" e-bikes. That means the motor assistance should stop at 28 mph from pedaling, and the throttle-only assistance is supposed to top out at 20 mph. But on my first ride on the Ocelot, I twisted the throttle and the thing accelerated to nearly 23 mph. For comparison, the Aventure 3 tops out at 20 mph. Check it out: That makes the Ocelot Pro the fastest throttled e-bike I've ever tested for Lifehacker. "It goes faster" might be a selling point for some, but it makes this bike technically illegal to ride on the streets of California. Cops aren't likely to be radar-checking to make sure your e-bike never breaks 20 mph, but going over the limit by anything suggests a lack of quality control, a corner that has been cut. Another point of comparison in the video above: while both bikes output around the same amount of power, the Ocelot Pro's motor is a lot louder than the Aventon's. And then there's the battery gauge. For technical reasons involving voltage and amperages, the "fuel gauges" on e-bikes are never that accurate, but the Ocelot's is among the worst I've experienced. It's all over the place: when I left to take the above video, the gauge read 67%. It was 32% half a mile later, then down to 22% after a mile ride. I turned the thing on and off, and it was at 56%: Credit: Stephen Johnson Everything elseBeyond parts and performance, there are the intangibles that separate a budget e-bike from a premium one, and they matter, particularly when you're playing between $1,500 and $2,000 for a product. Overall, the Aventure 3 looks and rides like a premium e-bike: the welds are clean and the paint is sharp. The Ocelot Pro feels thrown together. It's not something you can measure on a spec sheet, but I've tested many e-bikes for Lifehacker, and I can feel the difference between a janky bike and a solid one. The Aventon feels like a bike you could trust on a long ride; the Ocelot feels like a bike you’d be nervous to take too far from home. The Aventure 3 comes with an app that connects to the bike via Bluetooth, letting you track rides, tweak settings (including getting granular with the pedal assist levels), and update firmware. It also features a suite of built-in anti-theft features—like disabling the motor if the bike is stolen and GPS tracking—for extra peace of mind. There's even a mini social media feature to check out what other Aventon riders are up to. The Magicycle has none of that. You’re buying a single product, not something that feels supported or maintained over time. Be careful where you buy your bike Credit: Stephen Johnson On paper, the Aventon Aventure 3 and the Magicycle Ocelot Pro look like they’re playing in the same league, but they just ain't. The Aventure delivers reliable performance, thoughtful features, and long-term support, while the Ocelot cuts corners in ways you might not notice, especially if you haven't ridden a ton of e-bikes. If you’re spending $1,500 or more on a bike, it’s worth spending a little extra for a brand with a reputation for producing worthwhile products. So my advice remains the same: test ride as many bikes as you can, and before you buy an e-bike from Target (or Walmart, or Amazon), make very sure you know what you're getting yourself into. View the full article

On Tuesday, Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek announced he will step down from his leadership role after nearly two decades. Ek will serve as the company’s executive chairman and two former co-presidents — Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström — will share the role as co-CEOs. “Over the last few years, I’ve turned over a large part of the day-to-day management and strategic direction of Spotify to Alex and Gustav — who have shaped the company from our earliest days and are now more than ready to guide our next phase,” Ek said in a news release. Ek continued, “This change simply matches titles to how we already operate. In my role as Executive Chairman, I will focus on the long arc of the company and keep the Board and our co-CEOs deeply connected through my engagement.” Sharing the top position at a major company is still a relatively uncommon practice. But more corporations are testing the arrangement. This week, Comcast announced a second CEO, Mike Cavanaugh, will be stepping in come January to share the role with Brian Roberts. Oracle recently made a similar announcement. (Despite that back in 2020, Oracle had actually pivoted away from a co-CEO model. Salesforce and SAP similarly ditched co-CEO setups.) Meanwhile, Netflix has been led by two CEOs for more than five years, the current partnership being Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters. Deciding who becomes the CEO is an incredibly involved, high-stakes process. And nowadays, more seems to be riding on CEOs than ever: Shareholders and customers alike expect more from them, their brand is the organization’s brand and their decisions can make or break a company. So do things get muddled when there’s two people splitting authority and responsibilities at the highest, most visible level? Why firms do it The co-CEO trend hasn’t been studied extensively. But a 2022 Harvard Business Review report found that from 1996 to 2020, out of 2,200 companies listed in the S&P 1200 and the Russell 1000, fewer than 100 had dual leaders. Some say the arrangement is a surefire way to stay focused on the company’s mission, rather than personal accolades. Chip Kaye, a former co-CEO of Warburg Pincus, told HBR it forces leaders to “keep their egos in check.” Likewise, the research pointed to some promising findings, like a greater annual shareholder return. Companies led by joint CEOs generated 9.5% compared to 6.9% for solo led companies. In fact, around 60% of the joint CEO-led companies outperformed the ones with solo leaders. But some co-leaders argue it’s a positive arrangement. Netflix’s Sarandos told Fast Company’s Amy Wallace last September: “Having someone to talk to who is not an employee or a board member — who is your peer — is so helpful.” He also said having a partner to share authority with is a relief: “It is that lonely-at-the-top thing. The saying came from somewhere.” Still, the offbeat arrangement requires careful consideration. A delicate balance Partnerships like these need to be executed carefully, as sole CEOs tend to remain in power longer than co-CEO partnerships do, an analysis from the Wall Street Journal found. Don Yaeger, executive coach, author, and host of the Corporate Competitor podcast, tells Fast Company that co-CEOs have to put their egos aside for the setup to work — and ideally, have “opposing skillsets” in order to best serve the company. “You need two people who do not feel ‘less than’ when someone else is the focal point of interviews or stage time,” Yaeger explains. “The second one starts resenting the other, the wall comes crumbling down.” Likewise, Yaeger says that companies need to have a “clear delineation” of the responsibilities of each CEO. He cites the Netflix example as one company that is paving the way for how to put that into practice. “Sarandos is outward-facing with marketing, while Greg Peters is more inwardly focussed on product and operations.” Still, Yaeger presses that the relationship is a “delicate balance” that requires trust between co-CEOs. “If companies aren’t careful, the dual CEO arrangement can become somewhat like parenting,” Yaeger says. “When your child doesn’t like your answer, they immediately go looking for the other parent. That’s messy at home — and really messy at a Fortune 500.” In some cases, that messiness shows itself in public ways. Chipotle, which had co-CEOs from 2009 through 2016, returned to the more mainstream arrangement after a number of food safety incidents plagued the chain, and foot traffic failed to recover. Steve Ells, who stepped into the role — solely — told AP News at the time that it was vital for the brand to have “one CEO, one voice, and a very focused approach.” Of course, quite simply, there’s no denying that two heads are often better than one. Yaeger says that’s especially true as companies grow and become “more complex.” The job becomes too big for just one leader, who may not have all of the knowledge and skills to make the company thrive. But, if co-CEOs are able to put their egos aside, communicate effectively, and “respect the space of each other,” Yaeger says, the company — and the CEOs themselves — might be able reap the rewards. View the full article

Ecommerce warehouse fulfillment involves the systematic process of storing and delivering products ordered online, which includes inventory management, order processing, and shipping. This process is vital for operational efficiency and accuracy, impacting customer satisfaction greatly. For example, a streamlined fulfillment system can reduce order errors and lead times, nurturing brand loyalty. Comprehending these elements is fundamental, especially as customer expectations continue to rise. So, what are the key components that make fulfillment effective? Key Takeaways Ecommerce warehouse fulfillment encompasses the storage, management, and delivery of products ordered online, ensuring efficient order processing. It involves critical stages: receiving, warehousing, order processing, picking and packing, and shipping to meet customer expectations. Reliable fulfillment processes enhance customer satisfaction, as negative experiences can lead to brand abandonment. Technology integration, such as Warehouse Management Systems, significantly improves order accuracy and reduces fulfillment times by up to 50%. Outsourcing fulfillment to third-party logistics can lower operational costs and improve shipping speed, benefiting overall customer experience. Definition of Ecommerce Warehouse Fulfillment Ecommerce warehouse fulfillment is a crucial process that involves the storage, management, and delivery of products ordered online. It encompasses several key activities, including receiving inventory, processing orders, picking items, packing them, and shipping them to customers. This process typically takes place in a distribution center in the USA, where businesses can efficiently manage their inventory and improve shipping accuracy. Effective ecommerce warehouse fulfillment can greatly reduce operational costs and improve customer satisfaction through timely and accurate deliveries. With rising customer expectations, companies must prioritize reliable fulfillment to maintain brand loyalty. Advanced technologies like Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) support this process, allowing for better tracking and inventory management, finally streamlining the order fulfillment experience. The Ecommerce Fulfillment Process Comprehending the ecommerce fulfillment process is crucial for efficient order management and customer satisfaction. You’ll find that it involves five key stages: receiving, warehousing, order processing, picking and packing, and shipping. Each stage plays a critical role in ensuring that products are delivered accurately and on time, ultimately improving your business’s reliability in the eyes of your customers. Key Fulfillment Stages When a customer places an order, several key fulfillment stages guarantee that their experience is smooth and efficient. These stages include receiving and storing inventory, order processing, picking and packing, shipping and delivery, and handling returns. Each stage plays a vital role in the overall fulfillment process. Stage Description Importance Receiving & Storing Inventory is logged into a WMS and organized efficiently Optimizes operational efficiency Order Processing Integrates OMS with WMS for product availability Improves speed and accuracy in order fulfillment Shipping & Delivery Prepares orders for dispatch and coordinates with carriers Impacts customer satisfaction and repeat business Efficient management of these stages guarantees that products reach customers swiftly and accurately, nurturing loyalty and trust in your brand. Efficient Order Management Efficient order management is vital for a seamless ecommerce fulfillment process, directly impacting customer satisfaction and operational success. This process encompasses various stages, including receiving, storing, order processing, picking, packing, shipping, and managing returns. Accurate inventory data, maintained through integrated systems, is imperative; studies show that 70% of shoppers abandon a brand after two poor experiences. To improve order processing, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) synchronize with Inventory Management Systems (IMS) to verify product availability. Furthermore, implementing various picking strategies, like batch and zone picking, boosts efficiency during the imperative picking and packing phases. Finally, effective returns management guarantees clear procedures, positively affecting customer loyalty and satisfaction by allowing quick resolutions for returns and exchanges. Key Stages of Ecommerce Warehouse Fulfillment In the key stages of eCommerce warehouse fulfillment, you start with receiving and inventory management, where products are unloaded and entered into the system to keep track of stock levels. Next, picking and packing come into play, as you retrieve ordered items, securely package them, and prepare them for shipment. Finally, shipping guarantees that packages are labeled and dispatched efficiently to meet customer expectations for timely delivery. Receiving and Inventory Management Receiving and inventory management are critical components of ecommerce warehouse fulfillment, as they lay the foundation for effective order processing. During receiving, you’ll unload products from suppliers and log them into a Warehouse Management System (WMS) for accurate tracking. Effective inventory management organizes storage based on item size and turnover rate, optimizing space and minimizing picking errors. It’s crucial to maintain accurate inventory data across all sales channels to avoid stockouts or overstock situations, which can disrupt order fulfillment. Activity Importance Tools Needed Unloading Products Guarantees accurate tracking Warehouse Management System Logging Inventory Maintains real-time data Inventory Management System Organized Storage Optimizes space usage Racking Systems Regular Assessments Informs stocking decisions Analytics Software Picking, Packing, and Shipping The process of picking, packing, and shipping is where your ecommerce warehouse fulfills customer orders and guarantees satisfaction. Picking involves retrieving items from shelves based on customer orders, using strategies like batch, zone, or wave picking to boost efficiency and accuracy. Once items are picked, packing guarantees each product is securely packaged with the right materials, including necessary documentation like packing slips, which improves the customer experience. Finally, shipping is the last stage, where packed orders receive shipping labels and are handed over to carriers. Timely delivery is vital, as any delays can increase fulfillment times and negatively impact satisfaction. Efficient coordination among these stages reduces operational costs and delivery times, promoting customer loyalty and repeat business. Importance of Efficient Order Processing Efficient order processing plays a pivotal role in shaping customer satisfaction, as studies show that 70% of shoppers abandon brands after experiencing just two negative interactions. By streamlining your order processing, you can greatly reduce operational costs; for example, using advanced technologies like Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) can cut order fulfillment times by up to 50%. Automated systems, such as pick-to-light technology, improve accuracy, achieving picking accuracy rates over 99%, which minimizes costly errors. Furthermore, effective order processing encourages repeat business, as timely and accurate fulfillment can boost customer retention rates by up to 30%. Integrating your order processing with inventory management guarantees real-time stock updates, preventing stockouts and reducing excess inventory by up to 25%, thereby optimizing overall operational efficiency. Inventory Management Best Practices In relation to running a successful ecommerce operation, excelling in inventory management is crucial for maintaining ideal stock levels and ensuring customer satisfaction. Effective inventory management helps you avoid stockouts and overstocks, which can negatively affect sales. Implementing a Warehouse Management System (WMS) can improve your inventory tracking accuracy and potentially reduce costs by up to 20%. Regularly reviewing inventory analytics allows you to pinpoint slow-moving products, leading to informed stock replenishment decisions and improved turnover rates. Utilizing forecasting models like Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and Reorder Point (ROP) predicts demand patterns, streamlining your purchasing processes. Finally, maintaining an organized warehouse layout and conducting regular audits can decrease picking errors by up to 30%, boosting fulfillment efficiency. The Role of Technology in Fulfillment As you navigate the intricacies of ecommerce fulfillment, leveraging technology becomes vital for streamlining operations and enhancing accuracy. Integrating Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) with your ecommerce platform allows for real-time inventory tracking and precise order processing. Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) greatly boost efficiency by reducing picking and packing times, which is fundamental for handling increased order volumes. In addition, advanced technologies like pick-to-light systems can raise picking accuracy to 99%, minimizing errors. By utilizing data analytics tools, you can forecast inventory needs more accurately, reducing both stockouts and overstock situations. Moreover, cloud-based fulfillment solutions offer the scalability necessary to adapt quickly to fluctuating order volumes, enhancing overall agility in your supply chain. Customizing Shipping Options for Customers Offering a variety of shipping options is essential for improving the customer experience during the checkout process. By providing at least three distinct choices—standard, expedited, and free shipping—you cater to different delivery needs and budgets. Customizing these options can greatly boost customer satisfaction and loyalty. Consider the following: Personalized shipping experiences: Implement delivery date predictions and real-time tracking to build trust. Incentives for larger purchases: Offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount to encourage upselling, as many shoppers will add items to qualify. Tailored shipping methods: Adapt options based on customer demographics, like local delivery or click-and-collect services, to meet evolving expectations. These strategies can improve operational efficiency and align with consumer preferences. Benefits of Outsourcing Ecommerce Fulfillment Outsourcing ecommerce fulfillment can greatly streamline your operations, allowing you to concentrate on essential aspects of your business, like marketing and customer engagement. By partnering with specialized fulfillment providers, you gain access to advanced logistics technology, improving order processing accuracy and speed by up to 30%. Cost savings are also significant, as third-party logistics (3PL) partners optimize warehousing and shipping better than you might manage in-house. Furthermore, strategically located warehouses can cut shipping times by 50%, increasing customer satisfaction. Effective outsourcing improves returns management, nurturing customer loyalty in a competitive market. Benefit Description Impact Reduced Operational Burden Focus on core activities instead of logistics Enhanced business growth Improved Accuracy and Speed Access to advanced logistics technology Faster order processing Cost Savings Economies of scale from fulfillment partners Lower shipping expenses Improved Customer Satisfaction Shorter shipping times through strategic locations Increased loyalty and retention Challenges in Ecommerce Warehouse Fulfillment When you manage an ecommerce warehouse, you’ll face several challenges that can impact your operations. Inventory management issues, like stockouts, can lead to lost sales and unhappy customers, as shipping logistics challenges may arise from poor location choices that increase delivery times and costs. Furthermore, returns processing difficulties can hurt customer loyalty if the return process isn’t smooth and efficient, making it essential to address these areas for success. Inventory Management Issues Effective inventory management is crucial for successful ecommerce warehouse fulfillment, as it directly impacts both sales and customer satisfaction. When stockouts occur, it can lead to significant cart abandonment, with 25% of customers leaving because of unavailable items. Furthermore, the Bullwhip Effect can cause unpredictable inventory fluctuations across your supply chain, complicating your forecasting efforts. 43% of small businesses face inventory management struggles, often resulting in overstock situations. Manual tracking processes can introduce errors, with 40% of businesses experiencing discrepancies that hinder order fulfillment. Seasonal demand fluctuations require dynamic strategies, as 30% of retailers report challenges in managing inventory during peak seasons. Addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining efficient operations and meeting customer expectations. Shipping Logistics Challenges Shipping logistics challenges in ecommerce warehouse fulfillment can greatly impact operational efficiency, especially as order volumes continue to rise. You face pressure to process and fulfill orders swiftly during ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Customer expectations for fast shipping further complicate matters, often overwhelming your limited resources and increasing the risk of service failures. Seasonal demand fluctuations as well add complexity, requiring you to dynamically scale fulfillment processes without incurring excessive costs. Maintaining accurate inventory levels is essential; both over- and under-stocking can disrupt shipping logistics, leading to stockouts or excess inventory costs that negatively affect profitability. Finally, outdated systems can hinder your logistics capabilities, making it tough to adapt to the fast-paced demands of ecommerce and meet customer expectations effectively. Returns Processing Difficulties Returns processing presents significant difficulties in ecommerce warehouse fulfillment, compounding the challenges faced with shipping logistics. Managing returns effectively is essential, especially since up to 30% of online purchases are returned, necessitating robust reverse logistics systems. Here are some key points to reflect on: The average return processing cost ranges from $20 to $30 per item, which can severely impact profit margins. Approximately 40% of returned items can be restocked, whereas the rest may lead to additional write-offs if mishandled. Studies show that 61% of consumers expect their returns to be processed within 5 days, and a poor returns experience can deter 67% of customers from repurchasing. Addressing these challenges is critical for maintaining operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Common Misconceptions About Fulfillment What misconceptions do many small business owners hold about fulfillment? One common belief is that managing fulfillment in-house is cheaper, but as businesses grow, inefficiencies often lead to higher long-term costs. Furthermore, fulfillment isn’t just about warehousing; it includes inventory management, order processing, and returns handling. Many underestimate the importance of fulfillment center locations, as rural centers can increase shipping costs to urban areas. Another misconception is that all fulfillment centers offer the same service level, but differences in technology and expertise can impact order accuracy and speed. Finally, returns management is vital; 85% of shoppers won’t return after a negative experience. Misconception Reality Impact Fulfillment is just warehousing It includes multiple processes Affects overall efficiency In-house fulfillment is cheaper Leads to long-term inefficiencies Increases overall costs All fulfillment centers are the same Service levels vary greatly Influences customer satisfaction and loyalty How Fulfillment Impacts Customer Experience Timely delivery and a streamlined returns process are crucial components of a positive customer experience in ecommerce. When you receive your order on time, it boosts your satisfaction, whereas an efficient returns system makes it easy to exchange or return items if needed. These elements not only improve your shopping experience but additionally cultivate loyalty, encouraging you to return to Amazon that prioritize fulfillment efficiency. Timely Delivery Benefits When you consider the impact of fulfillment on customer experience, timely delivery stands out as a crucial element that shapes consumer perceptions and behaviors. Efficient fulfillment processes not only reduce delivery times but additionally meet rising customer expectations for fast shipping. Here are some key benefits of timely delivery: 85% of consumers are less likely to shop again after a poor delivery experience. 70% of shoppers expect delivery within two days, highlighting the need for quick service. 61% of consumers prefer retailers that provide accurate delivery time estimates, emphasizing the significance of transparency. Streamlined Returns Process A streamlined returns process greatly improves customer satisfaction, especially considering that 92% of consumers are more likely to make repeat purchases from brands that offer easy return policies. Effective fulfillment services can considerably reduce the time it takes to process returns, with 66% of customers expecting their returns to be handled within five days. Companies with efficient reverse logistics can recover up to 80% of the value of returned items, positively impacting both profitability and customer loyalty. Moreover, providing clear return instructions and a hassle-free process can lead to a 30% increase in customer retention rates. When brands invest in optimizing their returns process, they often see an average increase of 25% in customer satisfaction scores, reinforcing the link between fulfillment efficiency and positive customer experiences. Choosing the Right Fulfillment Partner Selecting the right fulfillment partner is vital for your business’s success, especially as you scale and adapt to changing market demands. Here are some key factors to take into account: Order volume and SKU handling: Confirm they can accommodate your specific needs and growth trajectory. Geographic locations: Assess their shipping capabilities to optimize delivery times and costs, particularly for national or international markets. Experience with your product type: A partner with a proven track record in your industry can improve order accuracy and efficiency. Moreover, look for technology integrations, such as Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), to streamline operations. Favorable inventory shrinkage policies are significant, as they can help mitigate losses from damage or mismanagement, ultimately safeguarding your bottom line. The Future of Ecommerce Fulfillment With the right fulfillment partner in place, businesses can better prepare for the evolving environment of ecommerce fulfillment. Automation technologies like Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) are improving efficiency by optimizing picking and packing processes. To meet rising consumer expectations, companies are investing in advanced logistics and establishing fulfillment centers closer to urban areas. Sustainability, too, is critical, with 70% of consumers preferring eco-friendly brands. Furthermore, integrating artificial intelligence can boost inventory management accuracy by up to 80%. As omnichannel retail grows, fulfillment strategies must adapt to allow seamless online and offline operations. Trend Impact Example Automation Improves efficiency by up to 50% ASRS systems Urban Fulfillment Centers Reduces shipping times markedly Local distribution hubs Eco-Friendly Practices Attracts 70% of consumers Sustainable packaging AI Integration Improves inventory management accuracy by 80% Predictive analytics Omnichannel Retailing Seamless customer experience Integrated platforms Strategies for Optimizing Fulfillment Operations To optimize fulfillment operations effectively, businesses should consider implementing a Warehouse Management System (WMS), which automates inventory tracking and order processing. This approach streamlines operations and reduces processing times considerably. You can further improve efficiency by adopting these strategies: Utilize advanced picking methods, like batch picking or zone picking, to minimize travel time within the warehouse. Integrate your eCommerce platform with WMS through APIs, ensuring real-time data synchronization for accurate inventory management and reduced stockouts. Analyze fulfillment metrics regularly, focusing on order accuracy and shipping times to identify bottlenecks, allowing for continuous improvement in operations. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Significance of Fulfillment Centers in E-Commerce? Fulfillment centers play an essential role in e-commerce by streamlining the storage and shipping processes. When you utilize these centers, you can swiftly scale your operations to meet changing demand without heavy investments in facilities or staff. Their strategic locations help reduce shipping costs and delivery times, enhancing customer satisfaction. Furthermore, advanced technologies like Warehouse Management Systems improve efficiency and accuracy, ensuring your orders are processed correctly and delivered without delay. What Is Ecommerce Fulfillment? Ecommerce fulfillment is the process of managing online orders from start to finish. It involves receiving products, storing them, picking items when orders are placed, packing them for shipment, and finally sending them to customers. This process is essential for maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty. Efficient fulfillment guarantees timely delivery, reduces errors, and optimizes inventory management, eventually impacting your business’s profitability. What Is an Ecommerce Warehouse? An ecommerce warehouse is a specialized facility where you store and manage products sold online. It’s designed to handle inventory efficiently and process orders quickly. These warehouses can be owned by retailers or operated by third-party logistics providers, offering flexibility in storage options. They utilize advanced technologies, like Warehouse Management Systems, to improve tracking and organization. Having strategically located warehouses helps reduce shipping distances, enhancing delivery times and overall customer satisfaction. What Is the Purpose of the Order Fulfillment Feature in an Ecommerce? The order fulfillment feature in ecommerce streamlines the process from when a customer places an order to when they receive it. It guarantees accurate shipping and timely delivery, which greatly impacts customer satisfaction. By integrating with Warehouse Management Systems, it optimizes inventory tracking and order processing. Efficient fulfillment can likewise lower operational costs, saving businesses up to 30% on shipping expenses as well as managing returns effectively to maintain customer loyalty and brand perception. Conclusion In summary, ecommerce warehouse fulfillment is crucial for your business’s success. By comprehending the fulfillment process and implementing best practices in inventory management, you can improve order processing efficiency and customer satisfaction. Choosing the right fulfillment partner and optimizing operations will further streamline your efforts. As the ecommerce environment evolves, staying informed about future trends and technological advancements will help you adapt and maintain a competitive edge. Prioritizing effective fulfillment is fundamental for building lasting customer loyalty. Image Via Envato This article, "What Is Ecommerce Warehouse Fulfillment and Its Importance?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Ecommerce warehouse fulfillment involves the systematic process of storing and delivering products ordered online, which includes inventory management, order processing, and shipping. This process is vital for operational efficiency and accuracy, impacting customer satisfaction greatly. For example, a streamlined fulfillment system can reduce order errors and lead times, nurturing brand loyalty. Comprehending these elements is fundamental, especially as customer expectations continue to rise. So, what are the key components that make fulfillment effective? Key Takeaways Ecommerce warehouse fulfillment encompasses the storage, management, and delivery of products ordered online, ensuring efficient order processing. It involves critical stages: receiving, warehousing, order processing, picking and packing, and shipping to meet customer expectations. Reliable fulfillment processes enhance customer satisfaction, as negative experiences can lead to brand abandonment. Technology integration, such as Warehouse Management Systems, significantly improves order accuracy and reduces fulfillment times by up to 50%. Outsourcing fulfillment to third-party logistics can lower operational costs and improve shipping speed, benefiting overall customer experience. Definition of Ecommerce Warehouse Fulfillment Ecommerce warehouse fulfillment is a crucial process that involves the storage, management, and delivery of products ordered online. It encompasses several key activities, including receiving inventory, processing orders, picking items, packing them, and shipping them to customers. This process typically takes place in a distribution center in the USA, where businesses can efficiently manage their inventory and improve shipping accuracy. Effective ecommerce warehouse fulfillment can greatly reduce operational costs and improve customer satisfaction through timely and accurate deliveries. With rising customer expectations, companies must prioritize reliable fulfillment to maintain brand loyalty. Advanced technologies like Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) support this process, allowing for better tracking and inventory management, finally streamlining the order fulfillment experience. The Ecommerce Fulfillment Process Comprehending the ecommerce fulfillment process is crucial for efficient order management and customer satisfaction. You’ll find that it involves five key stages: receiving, warehousing, order processing, picking and packing, and shipping. Each stage plays a critical role in ensuring that products are delivered accurately and on time, ultimately improving your business’s reliability in the eyes of your customers. Key Fulfillment Stages When a customer places an order, several key fulfillment stages guarantee that their experience is smooth and efficient. These stages include receiving and storing inventory, order processing, picking and packing, shipping and delivery, and handling returns. Each stage plays a vital role in the overall fulfillment process. Stage Description Importance Receiving & Storing Inventory is logged into a WMS and organized efficiently Optimizes operational efficiency Order Processing Integrates OMS with WMS for product availability Improves speed and accuracy in order fulfillment Shipping & Delivery Prepares orders for dispatch and coordinates with carriers Impacts customer satisfaction and repeat business Efficient management of these stages guarantees that products reach customers swiftly and accurately, nurturing loyalty and trust in your brand. Efficient Order Management Efficient order management is vital for a seamless ecommerce fulfillment process, directly impacting customer satisfaction and operational success. This process encompasses various stages, including receiving, storing, order processing, picking, packing, shipping, and managing returns. Accurate inventory data, maintained through integrated systems, is imperative; studies show that 70% of shoppers abandon a brand after two poor experiences. To improve order processing, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) synchronize with Inventory Management Systems (IMS) to verify product availability. Furthermore, implementing various picking strategies, like batch and zone picking, boosts efficiency during the imperative picking and packing phases. Finally, effective returns management guarantees clear procedures, positively affecting customer loyalty and satisfaction by allowing quick resolutions for returns and exchanges. Key Stages of Ecommerce Warehouse Fulfillment In the key stages of eCommerce warehouse fulfillment, you start with receiving and inventory management, where products are unloaded and entered into the system to keep track of stock levels. Next, picking and packing come into play, as you retrieve ordered items, securely package them, and prepare them for shipment. Finally, shipping guarantees that packages are labeled and dispatched efficiently to meet customer expectations for timely delivery. Receiving and Inventory Management Receiving and inventory management are critical components of ecommerce warehouse fulfillment, as they lay the foundation for effective order processing. During receiving, you’ll unload products from suppliers and log them into a Warehouse Management System (WMS) for accurate tracking. Effective inventory management organizes storage based on item size and turnover rate, optimizing space and minimizing picking errors. It’s crucial to maintain accurate inventory data across all sales channels to avoid stockouts or overstock situations, which can disrupt order fulfillment. Activity Importance Tools Needed Unloading Products Guarantees accurate tracking Warehouse Management System Logging Inventory Maintains real-time data Inventory Management System Organized Storage Optimizes space usage Racking Systems Regular Assessments Informs stocking decisions Analytics Software Picking, Packing, and Shipping The process of picking, packing, and shipping is where your ecommerce warehouse fulfills customer orders and guarantees satisfaction. Picking involves retrieving items from shelves based on customer orders, using strategies like batch, zone, or wave picking to boost efficiency and accuracy. Once items are picked, packing guarantees each product is securely packaged with the right materials, including necessary documentation like packing slips, which improves the customer experience. Finally, shipping is the last stage, where packed orders receive shipping labels and are handed over to carriers. Timely delivery is vital, as any delays can increase fulfillment times and negatively impact satisfaction. Efficient coordination among these stages reduces operational costs and delivery times, promoting customer loyalty and repeat business. Importance of Efficient Order Processing Efficient order processing plays a pivotal role in shaping customer satisfaction, as studies show that 70% of shoppers abandon brands after experiencing just two negative interactions. By streamlining your order processing, you can greatly reduce operational costs; for example, using advanced technologies like Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) can cut order fulfillment times by up to 50%. Automated systems, such as pick-to-light technology, improve accuracy, achieving picking accuracy rates over 99%, which minimizes costly errors. Furthermore, effective order processing encourages repeat business, as timely and accurate fulfillment can boost customer retention rates by up to 30%. Integrating your order processing with inventory management guarantees real-time stock updates, preventing stockouts and reducing excess inventory by up to 25%, thereby optimizing overall operational efficiency. Inventory Management Best Practices In relation to running a successful ecommerce operation, excelling in inventory management is crucial for maintaining ideal stock levels and ensuring customer satisfaction. Effective inventory management helps you avoid stockouts and overstocks, which can negatively affect sales. Implementing a Warehouse Management System (WMS) can improve your inventory tracking accuracy and potentially reduce costs by up to 20%. Regularly reviewing inventory analytics allows you to pinpoint slow-moving products, leading to informed stock replenishment decisions and improved turnover rates. Utilizing forecasting models like Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and Reorder Point (ROP) predicts demand patterns, streamlining your purchasing processes. Finally, maintaining an organized warehouse layout and conducting regular audits can decrease picking errors by up to 30%, boosting fulfillment efficiency. The Role of Technology in Fulfillment As you navigate the intricacies of ecommerce fulfillment, leveraging technology becomes vital for streamlining operations and enhancing accuracy. Integrating Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) with your ecommerce platform allows for real-time inventory tracking and precise order processing. Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) greatly boost efficiency by reducing picking and packing times, which is fundamental for handling increased order volumes. In addition, advanced technologies like pick-to-light systems can raise picking accuracy to 99%, minimizing errors. By utilizing data analytics tools, you can forecast inventory needs more accurately, reducing both stockouts and overstock situations. Moreover, cloud-based fulfillment solutions offer the scalability necessary to adapt quickly to fluctuating order volumes, enhancing overall agility in your supply chain. Customizing Shipping Options for Customers Offering a variety of shipping options is essential for improving the customer experience during the checkout process. By providing at least three distinct choices—standard, expedited, and free shipping—you cater to different delivery needs and budgets. Customizing these options can greatly boost customer satisfaction and loyalty. Consider the following: Personalized shipping experiences: Implement delivery date predictions and real-time tracking to build trust. Incentives for larger purchases: Offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount to encourage upselling, as many shoppers will add items to qualify. Tailored shipping methods: Adapt options based on customer demographics, like local delivery or click-and-collect services, to meet evolving expectations. These strategies can improve operational efficiency and align with consumer preferences. Benefits of Outsourcing Ecommerce Fulfillment Outsourcing ecommerce fulfillment can greatly streamline your operations, allowing you to concentrate on essential aspects of your business, like marketing and customer engagement. By partnering with specialized fulfillment providers, you gain access to advanced logistics technology, improving order processing accuracy and speed by up to 30%. Cost savings are also significant, as third-party logistics (3PL) partners optimize warehousing and shipping better than you might manage in-house. Furthermore, strategically located warehouses can cut shipping times by 50%, increasing customer satisfaction. Effective outsourcing improves returns management, nurturing customer loyalty in a competitive market. Benefit Description Impact Reduced Operational Burden Focus on core activities instead of logistics Enhanced business growth Improved Accuracy and Speed Access to advanced logistics technology Faster order processing Cost Savings Economies of scale from fulfillment partners Lower shipping expenses Improved Customer Satisfaction Shorter shipping times through strategic locations Increased loyalty and retention Challenges in Ecommerce Warehouse Fulfillment When you manage an ecommerce warehouse, you’ll face several challenges that can impact your operations. Inventory management issues, like stockouts, can lead to lost sales and unhappy customers, as shipping logistics challenges may arise from poor location choices that increase delivery times and costs. Furthermore, returns processing difficulties can hurt customer loyalty if the return process isn’t smooth and efficient, making it essential to address these areas for success. Inventory Management Issues Effective inventory management is crucial for successful ecommerce warehouse fulfillment, as it directly impacts both sales and customer satisfaction. When stockouts occur, it can lead to significant cart abandonment, with 25% of customers leaving because of unavailable items. Furthermore, the Bullwhip Effect can cause unpredictable inventory fluctuations across your supply chain, complicating your forecasting efforts. 43% of small businesses face inventory management struggles, often resulting in overstock situations. Manual tracking processes can introduce errors, with 40% of businesses experiencing discrepancies that hinder order fulfillment. Seasonal demand fluctuations require dynamic strategies, as 30% of retailers report challenges in managing inventory during peak seasons. Addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining efficient operations and meeting customer expectations. Shipping Logistics Challenges Shipping logistics challenges in ecommerce warehouse fulfillment can greatly impact operational efficiency, especially as order volumes continue to rise. You face pressure to process and fulfill orders swiftly during ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Customer expectations for fast shipping further complicate matters, often overwhelming your limited resources and increasing the risk of service failures. Seasonal demand fluctuations as well add complexity, requiring you to dynamically scale fulfillment processes without incurring excessive costs. Maintaining accurate inventory levels is essential; both over- and under-stocking can disrupt shipping logistics, leading to stockouts or excess inventory costs that negatively affect profitability. Finally, outdated systems can hinder your logistics capabilities, making it tough to adapt to the fast-paced demands of ecommerce and meet customer expectations effectively. Returns Processing Difficulties Returns processing presents significant difficulties in ecommerce warehouse fulfillment, compounding the challenges faced with shipping logistics. Managing returns effectively is essential, especially since up to 30% of online purchases are returned, necessitating robust reverse logistics systems. Here are some key points to reflect on: The average return processing cost ranges from $20 to $30 per item, which can severely impact profit margins. Approximately 40% of returned items can be restocked, whereas the rest may lead to additional write-offs if mishandled. Studies show that 61% of consumers expect their returns to be processed within 5 days, and a poor returns experience can deter 67% of customers from repurchasing. Addressing these challenges is critical for maintaining operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Common Misconceptions About Fulfillment What misconceptions do many small business owners hold about fulfillment? One common belief is that managing fulfillment in-house is cheaper, but as businesses grow, inefficiencies often lead to higher long-term costs. Furthermore, fulfillment isn’t just about warehousing; it includes inventory management, order processing, and returns handling. Many underestimate the importance of fulfillment center locations, as rural centers can increase shipping costs to urban areas. Another misconception is that all fulfillment centers offer the same service level, but differences in technology and expertise can impact order accuracy and speed. Finally, returns management is vital; 85% of shoppers won’t return after a negative experience. Misconception Reality Impact Fulfillment is just warehousing It includes multiple processes Affects overall efficiency In-house fulfillment is cheaper Leads to long-term inefficiencies Increases overall costs All fulfillment centers are the same Service levels vary greatly Influences customer satisfaction and loyalty How Fulfillment Impacts Customer Experience Timely delivery and a streamlined returns process are crucial components of a positive customer experience in ecommerce. When you receive your order on time, it boosts your satisfaction, whereas an efficient returns system makes it easy to exchange or return items if needed. These elements not only improve your shopping experience but additionally cultivate loyalty, encouraging you to return to Amazon that prioritize fulfillment efficiency. Timely Delivery Benefits When you consider the impact of fulfillment on customer experience, timely delivery stands out as a crucial element that shapes consumer perceptions and behaviors. Efficient fulfillment processes not only reduce delivery times but additionally meet rising customer expectations for fast shipping. Here are some key benefits of timely delivery: 85% of consumers are less likely to shop again after a poor delivery experience. 70% of shoppers expect delivery within two days, highlighting the need for quick service. 61% of consumers prefer retailers that provide accurate delivery time estimates, emphasizing the significance of transparency. Streamlined Returns Process A streamlined returns process greatly improves customer satisfaction, especially considering that 92% of consumers are more likely to make repeat purchases from brands that offer easy return policies. Effective fulfillment services can considerably reduce the time it takes to process returns, with 66% of customers expecting their returns to be handled within five days. Companies with efficient reverse logistics can recover up to 80% of the value of returned items, positively impacting both profitability and customer loyalty. Moreover, providing clear return instructions and a hassle-free process can lead to a 30% increase in customer retention rates. When brands invest in optimizing their returns process, they often see an average increase of 25% in customer satisfaction scores, reinforcing the link between fulfillment efficiency and positive customer experiences. Choosing the Right Fulfillment Partner Selecting the right fulfillment partner is vital for your business’s success, especially as you scale and adapt to changing market demands. Here are some key factors to take into account: Order volume and SKU handling: Confirm they can accommodate your specific needs and growth trajectory. Geographic locations: Assess their shipping capabilities to optimize delivery times and costs, particularly for national or international markets. Experience with your product type: A partner with a proven track record in your industry can improve order accuracy and efficiency. Moreover, look for technology integrations, such as Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), to streamline operations. Favorable inventory shrinkage policies are significant, as they can help mitigate losses from damage or mismanagement, ultimately safeguarding your bottom line. The Future of Ecommerce Fulfillment With the right fulfillment partner in place, businesses can better prepare for the evolving environment of ecommerce fulfillment. Automation technologies like Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) are improving efficiency by optimizing picking and packing processes. To meet rising consumer expectations, companies are investing in advanced logistics and establishing fulfillment centers closer to urban areas. Sustainability, too, is critical, with 70% of consumers preferring eco-friendly brands. Furthermore, integrating artificial intelligence can boost inventory management accuracy by up to 80%. As omnichannel retail grows, fulfillment strategies must adapt to allow seamless online and offline operations. Trend Impact Example Automation Improves efficiency by up to 50% ASRS systems Urban Fulfillment Centers Reduces shipping times markedly Local distribution hubs Eco-Friendly Practices Attracts 70% of consumers Sustainable packaging AI Integration Improves inventory management accuracy by 80% Predictive analytics Omnichannel Retailing Seamless customer experience Integrated platforms Strategies for Optimizing Fulfillment Operations To optimize fulfillment operations effectively, businesses should consider implementing a Warehouse Management System (WMS), which automates inventory tracking and order processing. This approach streamlines operations and reduces processing times considerably. You can further improve efficiency by adopting these strategies: Utilize advanced picking methods, like batch picking or zone picking, to minimize travel time within the warehouse. Integrate your eCommerce platform with WMS through APIs, ensuring real-time data synchronization for accurate inventory management and reduced stockouts. Analyze fulfillment metrics regularly, focusing on order accuracy and shipping times to identify bottlenecks, allowing for continuous improvement in operations. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Significance of Fulfillment Centers in E-Commerce? Fulfillment centers play an essential role in e-commerce by streamlining the storage and shipping processes. When you utilize these centers, you can swiftly scale your operations to meet changing demand without heavy investments in facilities or staff. Their strategic locations help reduce shipping costs and delivery times, enhancing customer satisfaction. Furthermore, advanced technologies like Warehouse Management Systems improve efficiency and accuracy, ensuring your orders are processed correctly and delivered without delay. What Is Ecommerce Fulfillment? Ecommerce fulfillment is the process of managing online orders from start to finish. It involves receiving products, storing them, picking items when orders are placed, packing them for shipment, and finally sending them to customers. This process is essential for maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty. Efficient fulfillment guarantees timely delivery, reduces errors, and optimizes inventory management, eventually impacting your business’s profitability. What Is an Ecommerce Warehouse? An ecommerce warehouse is a specialized facility where you store and manage products sold online. It’s designed to handle inventory efficiently and process orders quickly. These warehouses can be owned by retailers or operated by third-party logistics providers, offering flexibility in storage options. They utilize advanced technologies, like Warehouse Management Systems, to improve tracking and organization. Having strategically located warehouses helps reduce shipping distances, enhancing delivery times and overall customer satisfaction. What Is the Purpose of the Order Fulfillment Feature in an Ecommerce? The order fulfillment feature in ecommerce streamlines the process from when a customer places an order to when they receive it. It guarantees accurate shipping and timely delivery, which greatly impacts customer satisfaction. By integrating with Warehouse Management Systems, it optimizes inventory tracking and order processing. Efficient fulfillment can likewise lower operational costs, saving businesses up to 30% on shipping expenses as well as managing returns effectively to maintain customer loyalty and brand perception. Conclusion In summary, ecommerce warehouse fulfillment is crucial for your business’s success. By comprehending the fulfillment process and implementing best practices in inventory management, you can improve order processing efficiency and customer satisfaction. Choosing the right fulfillment partner and optimizing operations will further streamline your efforts. As the ecommerce environment evolves, staying informed about future trends and technological advancements will help you adapt and maintain a competitive edge. Prioritizing effective fulfillment is fundamental for building lasting customer loyalty. Image Via Envato This article, "What Is Ecommerce Warehouse Fulfillment and Its Importance?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The popularity of applications to help teams organize their tasks, resources and more has reached a point where every major software company has a list-making product. So it’s no surprise that there’s a Microsoft Lists, but is MS Lists the best list-making app on the market? To find out, let’s define what Microsoft Lists is, look at its features and explore how to use MS Lists. We’ll also get into details about pricing and plans, pros and cons and how Microsoft Lists compares to other products by Microsoft. What Is Microsoft Lists? MS Lists grew out of SharePoint lists and facilitates tracking and organizing tasks. Project teams use it both personally and professionally. It seeks to present complex information in a clear and easily digestible format by displaying it in lists, grids and calendars. Microsoft Lists claims to be a simple app to use, creating lists easily and quickly with templates. It promises the flexibility to keep everyone in sync with alerts. Some integrations connect Microsoft Lists to Microsoft Teams and other MS products. It’s included in the Microsoft 365 suite. Microsoft List isn’t for everyone. It might serve personal use, but for managing a project it falls short. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software that has a list view, but also Gantt charts for managers to schedule works, kanban boards for teams to manage workflow and calendar views for stakeholders to get an overview of the project. Even our list view is more robust, allowing for collaboration, assignments, due dates, tags, filters, attachments, subtasks, recurring tasks, automation and track work in real time. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Project-list-light-mode-CTA.pngLearn more Microsoft Lists Features Microsoft Lists might not be the best application to organize and track work, but it has useful features. To give MS Lists the credits it’s due and a fighting chance against similar tools such as Microsoft Project, Planner or Teams, let’s take a close look at a few of the essential features that make MS Lists competitive in the marketplace. MS Lists Grid View Once project planning data has been added to Microsoft Lists, it can be viewed in different ways. The view can be changed from a traditional list view to a grid view so users can add or edit multiple items at once. The list view is usually chosen when searching specific requirements, while the grid view is for exploring. MS Lists Calendar View Another view is the Microsoft Lists calendar view. This helps users organize and manage their lists by displaying items in a project calendar view. This relatively new feature lets users view their tasks in a month, week, work week or day format, which helps visualize deadlines, events, milestones, etc. Alerts & Notifications When a user right-clicks on an item in their list, several options pop up, including to alert the user. The users can then define who the alert goes to, whether it is sent by email or text and when the user wants to be alerted. For example, if another user changes something on one of the task list items, the user working on that activity will get notified. How to Use Microsoft Lists Now that we understand what Microsoft Lists is and explored some of the features that make it a useful project tracking tool, let’s learn how to use it. Follow the three steps below to make a list, customize it and share it with others on the project team. 1. Create a New List Users can get started from MS 365, MS Teams or SharePoint by clicking the app launcher and selecting MS Lists. Then select make a new list and start a new list from scratch, import an excel file or use an MS lists template. When selected, give the new list a name, a description, etc and save it. It’s now ready to use. 2. Customize List Columns Click on the arrow next to the column that will be customized and select column settings. A list will appear offering formatting, such as moving the column left or right, hiding it or adding a column. Settings will be different according to the type of column that’s being customized. 3. Share List With Others Microsoft Lists can be private or shared with the team. To do the latter, go to the MS Lists home page and hover the cursor over the list that will be shared. Select open actions and then select share. At this point, users are asked to choose who to share the list with. They can select the permissions and then grant access. Plans and Pricing There are a few plans and pricing tiers for Microsoft 365, the software that includes the MS List app. The plans are for home, business and enterprise. They’re listed below. Microsoft 365 Family (Home): $99.99/year, for one to six people Microsoft 365 Personal (Home): $69.99/year, for one person Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6/user/month with annual auto-renew subscription Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/user/month with annual auto-renew subscription Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $22/user/month with annual auto-renew subscription Microsoft 365 Apps for Business: $8.25/user/month with annual auto-renew subscription Microsoft 365 E3 (no Teams): $33.75/user/month with annual auto-renew subscription Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams): $54.75/user/month with annual auto-renew subscription Microsoft 365 F3: $8/user/month with annual auto-renew subscription Pros and Cons of Microsoft Lists MS List is a simple database tool. As we detailed, it can help organize tasks, collaboration and other things, but it’s not a one-stop shop. It’s especially less than useful in managing projects. But that doesn’t mean it’s without merits. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of using Microsoft Lists. Pros of MS Lists Simple tool that allows users to quickly create and track lists without needing technical expertise or database knowledge. Views information in different contexts, such as grid, gallery or calendar views, making it easier to visualize work in multiple formats. Can share a list with team members and control permissions so everyone can collaborate and update data in real time. Add images, links and files directly to list items, providing richer context and reference material for tasks or records. Track list activities with version history and alerts, so users can monitor changes and stay informed about updates. Use built-in templates for common scenarios or create fully customized lists tailored to specific business processes. Create a new list by importing an existing Excel document, making it simple to migrate structured data into the app. Cons of MS Lists Limited views available, with no kanban board or timeline options, which restricts flexibility compared to dedicated project tools. For all its simplicity, MS Lists still has a learning curve, especially when configuring views, permissions and advanced settings. There’s no automation built into Lists, so repetitive workflows require Power Automate or external tools to function effectively. Lacks robust integrations outside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, making it harder to connect with third-party platforms. No dashboard or advanced reporting features, which limits the ability to analyze trends or generate detailed summaries. No resource management tools such as workload tracking, scheduling or allocation across team members. No timesheets, cost tracking or other features necessary for managing teams and monitoring overall project performance. How Does Microsoft Lists Compare to Other Microsoft Software? MS Lists is part of a larger suite of Microsoft products. But is it a unique application? How does it compare to some similar software that Microsoft makes? Let’s look at how Microsoft Lists compares to three MS products: Microsoft Planner, SharePoint Lists and Microsoft Teams Lists. Microsoft Lists vs. MS Planner Both Microsoft Lists and Microsoft Planner are lightweight project management tools. MS Planner has more project management features to manage tasks, such as kanban boards, while MS Lists is more flexible and customizable. Neither tool is a real project management software with a full-service solution that includes resources, cost tracking, etc. While Planner is better for visual task tracking and assigning work, Lists provides more versatility to manage a wide variety of structured data such as inventories, logs and issue tracking. Organizations often use both together, combining Planner’s task management strengths with the customization of Lists. Microsoft Lists vs. SharePoint Lists These two Microsoft software products are basically the same. Microsoft Lists displays lists from the SharePoint site and allows users to connect directly to the lists without having to browse to find them through the SharePoint site. MS Lists is easier to use than SharePoint, which was Microsoft’s answer to collaboration, though many users were unhappy with its functionality. Microsoft Lists is essentially a modern, standalone interface for the same SharePoint lists, making them more accessible through mobile and Teams, while SharePoint remains tied to site-based content management. This makes Lists more approachable for everyday users. Microsoft Lists vs. Microsoft Teams Lists Again, with MS Lists, users can create, manage, assign and track lists. Tasks in Microsoft Teams show the user all their tasks within Microsoft Teams. It centralizes all the tasks that are assigned to a user in the Microsoft Planner and one’s personal to-do list in one place. While Teams emphasizes personal and group task management, Lists offers a more customizable database that can be added as a tab in a channel. This lets users design specific tracking systems directly inside Teams, giving flexibility beyond simple tasks and enabling a wider range of use cases across collaborative workspaces. ProjectManager Is the Best MS Lists Alternative Why use Microsoft Lists for project management? It’s only going to frustrate managers and their teams. It’s a fine tool for simple list-making, but a project is not a glorified to-do list. Project management organizes tasks, workflows, resources and monitors progress and performance to ensure that projects stay on schedule and don’t go over budget. ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that has a better list view than MS Lists, plus multiple project views and also manages resources, tracks labors costs and provides a high-level overview of the project with reporting tools for more insightful decision making. Use Multiple Task, Project and Workflow Management Tools Projects need more than a list to deliver success. Our software has multiple tools, such as Gantt charts that schedule tasks, link dependencies, filter for the critical path and set a baseline to track planned effort against actual effort in real time. Teams can use the list view or kanban boards to visualize their workflows, which can be customized and even automated, with task approval settings to ensure only quality deliverables move forward. There’s also a calendar view that gives stakeholders an overview of the project in broad strokes. /wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Gantt-Manufacturing-Light-2554x1372-1-2048x1100-compressed.png Manage Resources and Track Costs Another thing users can’t do with Microsoft Lists is manage resources or track costs. When onboarding teams to ProjectManager, their availability can be set, such as PTO, vacation time and global holidays, which streamlines the assigning process. Then go to the color-coded workload chart or visit the team page to get an overview of everyone’s allocation. From there, balance the team’s workload to keep them working at capacity. Costs, workload and more can be viewed either on the real-time dashboard or portfolio dashboard and reports. Labor costs can be monitored using secure timesheets that help with payroll, but also provide visibility into how far each team member has gone in completing their tasks. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Dashboard-light-mode.jpgRelated Microsoft Content Microsoft has many products for planning, projects and more, but they’re far from a dominant force in project management. They’re popular, it’s true, but they might be resting on their laurels. Let’s look at some recent blog posts that review Microsoft products and whether they live up to the hype. Microsoft Planner: Pros, Cons and Alternatives Microsoft Project Online: Pros, Cons and Best Alternatives What Is Microsoft Teams? Uses, Plans, Features & Pricing What Is Microsoft Project? Uses, Features and Pricing Microsoft Project Viewer – View & Edit MPP Files Online ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams whether they’re in the office, out in the field or anywhere else. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Join teams at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to deliver successful projects. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post What Is Microsoft Lists? Uses, Features and Pricing appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

The first government shutdown since 2019 will slow flood insurance originations and new Small Business Administration loans, though self-funded banking regulators will continue operating as usual. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. Amazon’s second biggest sale of the year, October Prime Day, is set to start Oct. 7, but many early deals are already rolling in, as they have in the past. To take advantage of everything the sale has to offer, you’re going to need to be a Prime Member. If you sign up for an Amazon Prime account to take advantage of Prime Day but decide you don’t want to pay for an ongoing membership, you’ll need to cancel your subscription before the end of your free trial. How to cancel your Amazon Prime membershipYou can cancel your Prime subscription via browser by first logging into your Amazon account. Amazon has an End Your Prime Membership button on its support page to launch the process, or you can follow the steps detailed from Amazon's page: Head to Amazon.com in your web browser. Hover over the Accounts & Lists menu on the top-right of the window, then select the Prime Membership option. Click the Help tab at the top-center of the screen. Then tap the End Your Amazon Prime Membership button and finally click the Cancel Your Prime Membership orange button. Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed to canceling your Prime subscription. Note that Amazon requires a bunch of clicks to finalize your cancellation, giving you lots of “opportunities” to change your mind. How to cancel Amazon Prime via mobile appIf you prefer, you can cancel your Prime membership via Amazon’s Shopping app. To do so: Open the Amazon Shopping app on your mobile device. On the bottom of the screen, tap the Profile button, which looks like a silhouette of a person. Scroll down to Your Account and select Manage Prime Membership. Press on the Explore Benefits drop-down menu, and press the Help button in that menu. Press the End Your Amazon Prime Membership button. Scroll down and press the Cancel Your Prime Membership orange button. Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed to canceling your Prime subscription. What to know when canceling your Prime membershipAs mentioned, closing your account will immediately end your access. Amazon also offers you the option to pause your benefits and billing temporarily instead of canceling them completely. Either way, your Amazon account is still active—you simply won’t have Prime benefits. Finally, if you have other subscriptions connected to your Prime account, those will end when your billing is up. And if you signed up for Prime through the Android mobile shopping app or the Prime Video Android app, you’ll have to go through Google Subscription to manage your membership. Our Best Editor-Vetted Early Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $194.18 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Blink Outdoor 4 XR + Mini 2 — Wireless and plug-in security cameras, motion detection, extended range. Sync Module XR included — 2 camera system + Mini 2 (Black) — $74.99 (List Price $219.98) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $49.98 (List Price $79.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Kindle Essentials Bundle including Kindle (2024 release) - Black, Fabric Cover - Matcha, and Power Adapter — $117.97 (List Price $161.97) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

“Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high . . . take a look, it’s in a book“: Reading Rainbow, PBS’ iconic kids show, is back after 20 years off the air. This time around, it’s hosted by beloved TikTok librarian Mychal Threets. But you don’t have to take my word for it. The news was announced on September 29 through an Instagram post shared by Threets, the official Reading Rainbow account, and Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Episodes of the new series will premiere at 10 a.m. ET every Saturday during October on the KidZuko, a kids’ YouTube channel from Sony Pictures Television, as well as on Reading Rainbow’s website. Reading Rainbow was first launched in 1983 as a response to “summer loss phenomena,” in which “a child loses some of his or her reading abilities because they tend not to read during the summer,” Reading Rainbow’s website explains. Each episode featured a different children’s picture book, often narrated by a celebrity, as well as guest interviews and book reviews. Over the course of the show’s 26-year run, it became the most-watched PBS program in the classroom, earning awards including the George Foster Peabody Award and 26 Emmys. A large part of Reading Rainbow’s success was thanks to host LeVar Burton, whose charismatic personality and comforting cadence set the show’s tone. Burton’s successor, Threets, has already cultivated a devoted audience of his own for his love of books and friendly communication style. Here’s what to know as Threets steps in to take viewers along the Reading Rainbow. Who is Mychal Threets, a.k.a. Mychal the Librarian? Threets, known on social media as Mychal the Librarian, has spent the last few years amassing a sizable following (including 829,000 followers on TikTok and 895,000 on Instagram) by sharing his love for reading with the world. When Threets first started his social media pages several years ago, he was working as a librarian in Solano County, California, at the same library that cultivated his own passion for reading. In 2024, he stepped down from that role and took up a new position as PBS’ resident librarian, a position that allows him to continue producing videos that encourage kids to develop healthy reading habits. Some of Threet’s most popular videos include heartwarming storytimes about his experiences as a librarian, book reviews, and calls for viewers to invest in their local libraries—all delivered with his signature smile. “Dear Solano County Library, I just want to say ‘Thank you,’” Threets begins in one TikTok post with over two million views. “Thank you for raising me as a homeschool library kid. This is the place where I’ve always felt safe, I’ve always felt like I belong, I’ve always felt like I have friends.” Now, Threets is bringing that same sense of safety and belonging to fellow “library kids” through the Reading Rainbow reboot. “I was raised on Reading Rainbow, LeVar Burton is my hero,” Threets wrote in an Instagram post about the series. “I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere. I am so happy for all of us that Reading Rainbow is returning! YOU all did this! We’re flying twice as high, butterflies in the sky!” View the full article

Officials hope exemption from 0.5 per cent levy for investors will boost liquidity and attract more London listingsView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. Can you remember the last time you had a totally pain-free back? I know I’m on a never-ending search for relief. Percussive massage guns, non-percussive massage guns, regular foam rollers, even percussive foam rollers—I’m determined to try it all. Now, my search has brought me to decompression devices. These devices promise personalized, premium massages and decompression right in your own home. It's the closest thing you can get to replicating an actual masseuse. You lay on your back and let the rollers in the device do the work for you. And from personal experience, I can share that they do provide immediate comfort and relief. The thing is, compared to a standard massage gun, a full decompression massage table is pretty expensive. Products like the Chirp Contour might feel amazing, but with a price tag of $600, I have to wonder if they’re truly worth every penny. Do these devices deliver real results or just Instagram-worthy self-care moments? The massage professionals I spoke with shared a consistent perspective: These devices aren't worthless, but they're far from essential for most people. Here’s what you need to know before you drop hundreds of dollars in your righteous pursuit of muscle relief. Chirp Contour Decompression & Massage Table $599.99 at Best Buy Shop Now Shop Now $599.99 at Best Buy What these devices actually doTo be clear, these tables do provide real sensations of relief. "Of course this device is going to feel good. It's going to provide massage and heat, which is going to help to relax the muscle tension," explains W. Zach Smith, founder and doctor of physical therapy at HIDEF Physical Therapy. Plus, "devices like this are getting better and better, and if you have the disposable income, it can be of some benefit to you." I know I adore my Chirp Contour, which specifically offers considerable customization. But Smith quickly adds an important caveat: "For most people, what I see with these types of devices is they purchase some, use them for a few weeks and then they end up just sitting at their home not getting used." That pattern—initial enthusiasm followed by the device becoming expensive furniture—is perhaps the most damning criticism. Smith notes he personally hasn't "found one of these devices that is just an absolute game changer" for his patients that leads to consistent long-term use. Amanda Grimm, a sports and remedial massage therapist at Knead Massage, points out another often-overlooked benefit: "At-home massage/decompression tables can help with relaxation, if nothing else, for the fact that they make the person stop rushing around and take some time for themselves." That forced pause can help relieve tension, though it "may not be the targeted muscle relief that the individual requires." Addressing the root cause of back painHere's where things get sobering for anyone hoping a $600 purchase will solve their chronic pain. Smith is blunt: "At the end of the day, massage and heat is not going to resolve 90% of low back pain. You need the additional mobility, stretching, and the most important, a re-strengthening program in order to truly solve low back pain." Jennifer Brandon, rehabilitation manager at HOAG Orthopedic Institute, echoes this concern: "I think that at home decompression tables can be helpful in finding some relief, even to loosen your tight muscles. I would just note that at home gadgets should never replace structured rehabilitation, nor should they really be substituted for strength training to build up weak muscles." From a sports recovery perspective, Grimm notes these devices "may aid general self-care, but without the assessment, additional full movement and personalized treatment provided by a professional therapist, they are more superficial than impactful." Running the numbersStill, I get a lot of relief with my Chirp Contour, so let's do the math to see when these devices are worth their cost. If you typically pay $100 for an hour-long professional massage, a $600 device would theoretically pay for itself after just six uses. Sounds great, right? But here's the reality check: These aren't equivalent experiences. A professional massage involves assessment, targeted technique, adjustment based on your body's response, and often addresses issues you didn't even know you had. Your at-home device delivers the same experience every time—no expert eyes evaluating your problem, no hands adapting pressure to what your muscles need. If you were getting weekly massages at $100 each, you'd spend $5,200 annually. In that scenario, a $600 device seems like a no-brainer investment. But most people aren't getting weekly professional massages. They're considering whether to buy this device instead of occasional professional treatment—and that's where the comparison falls apart. Brandon sums it up well: "These items can be more of a wellness nice-to-have, than a must-have. Especially with such a steep price range. If you find yourself dealing with an ongoing issue, you might be better off investing that money into a professional that can help you get to the actual root of your problem." Grimm offers a practical middle ground: "For $600, it may be more beneficial to invest that in a series of remedial sports massages for injury relief—but that said, if you have the disposable cash to spend, then it can work as a cool-down tool after a workout or just a bit of pampering!" The bottom line Expensive decompression and massage tables aren't scams—they do provide relaxation and temporary relief. But they're not the miracle solution their marketing suggests. I would tell you if I thought something was worth every penny, but $600 is a whole lot of pennies. If you're dealing with chronic pain or sports injuries, that $600 is almost certainly better spent on professional assessment and treatment that addresses the underlying problem. However, if you already have a solid strength and mobility routine, see professionals when needed, and simply want a luxurious recovery tool for your home gym? And crucially, if you're the type of person who'll actually use it consistently rather than letting it collect dust? Then it might be worth considering. Just go in with realistic expectations about what it can and cannot do. Think of it like buying a fancy espresso machine. It's not going to replace your favorite coffee shop's expertise, but it's a nice convenience if you'll genuinely use it regularly and can comfortably afford it. The key question isn't whether it works; it's whether you'll still be using it six months from now. View the full article

Last month we talked about signs of financial trouble you’ve seen at work — the early signs that foretold something worse was to come — and here are 12 interesting stories you shared. 1. The shrimp harbinger One place I worked at had a holiday party, and long-timers clocked that the size of the shrimp cocktail tower was an indication of the financial health of the company. Some years it was a four-tier ice sculpture piled with giant shrimp, some years it was a single platter of average shrimp. It became known as the “big shrimp party.” One year … no shrimp at all, and rumors started flying. A few months later there were layoffs. 2. The rug repo You know those rugs you put in the doorways so that people don’t slip if it in wet weather? We were leasing them. Receptionist came to me to tell me the company that leased them to us had an employee come in, roll up the rug, told the receptionist that they were taking the rug because we hadn’t paid the lease/rental fee in a long time. 3. The ominous email I was working at a camper van rental firm where an email went out announcing that because we weren’t paying back people‘s deposits no one should be in the office alone any more in case angry customers showed up. 4. The polls My ex-company, as cost-cutting measures, sent some company-wide polls for employees to vote for perks they wanted to keep (one of each pair). And by “perks,” I mean stuff like “lactose-free milk or decaf coffee?” and “cocoa or fruit juice?” Not sure if a year of lactose-free milk came close to even one worker’s price. Not long after that they cancelled Fruit Thursdays and we all knew the end was near. 5. The trash bins They had the cleaners stop emptying the trash cans at our desks. We were expected to take them to the kitchen at the end of each day. Some people were better than others about taking out their trash. But also, each floor had 100+ people using the three garbage bins in the kitchen. Meanwhile, one of the VPs was $30 million over budget and it wasn’t flagged until almost year-end. Layoffs followed but the VP was spared. 6. The pay cut inquiry We literally just got an email asking us how much of a pay cut we could take and survive. 7. The blinds After 2008, OldJob encouraged “energy efficiency” by closing all of the blinds and dimming the lights in the summer. We had some layoffs and a hiring freeze, so there were rows and rows of empty cubicles. It was great for morale to come into a gloomy, half empty office every day. It was about a year later the company was suddenly sold, a month or so after the CEO swore we were not up for sale. 8. The quartered meatballs I used to work for a family-owned department store chain that had come under the “leadership” of the founder’s nephew, who was really really bad at it. The specific store I worked at had a restaurant inside it. The place always did a Christmas dinner for the employees and the offerings started to get skimpier and skimpier, until the last year they had it where the restaurant manager was only given a budget of $1.50 per head. The meal consisted of two different kinds of pasta, one with meatballs cut into quarters, and plain iceberg lettuce with store-brand dressing, and ice water. No fault to the restaurant manager, who did well to put together any kind of meal for that skimpy amount. Then, after the new year, there were loads of cut hours, reduction in benefits, lots of junky merchandise coming in, stores in the chain closing, and constant rumors about our store closing. The chain eventually declared bankruptcy and the founder actually came out of retirement to fix the situation. Amazingly, the chain actually recovered and in fact is thriving today, but that didn’t happen until I was way the hell gone from there. 9. The Sharpies When they replaced the brand-name Sharpies with significantly crappier ones. Soon after they closed our second location and cut staff at the home base. 10. The LinkedIn giveaway I figured out that layoffs were imminent when I checked out the LinkedIn profile of our new head of HR, and it it turned out he had a background in ushering companies through restructuring. He ushered us through our own restructuring a few months later. 11. The stock ticker Removing the stock ticker from the company intranet! We were told that it was because “people were spending too much time watching the ticker and not working.” Yeah, watching it fall off a cliff and realizing they weren’t going to be able to afford their kid’s college. 12. The meeting notice The shorter notice you have for a meeting, the worse the news will be. Normal monthly staff meeting schedule, nothing wrong. All-hands in one hour? Be ready to bounce. The post the shrimp harbinger, the quartered meatballs, and other signs of financial trouble at work appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

The President’s executive order comes weeks after Israel launched missiles targeting Hamas leaders in DohaView the full article

The U.S. government is taking a minority stake in Lithium Americas, a company that is developing one of the world’s largest lithium mines in northern Nevada. The Department of Energy will take a 5% equity stake in the miner, which is based in Vancouver. It will also take a 5% stake in the Thacker Pass lithium mining project, a joint venture with General Motors. Thacker Pass is considered crucial in reducing U.S. reliance on China for lithium, a critical material used to produce the high tech batteries used in cell phones, electric vehicles and renewable energy. Both Republicans and Democrats support the project and narrowing the production gap. China is the world’s largest lithium processor. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement that the deal with Lithium Americas “helps reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries for critical minerals by strengthening domestic supply chains and ensures better stewardship of American taxpayer dollars.” Thacker Pass is expected to produce 40,000 metric tons of battery-quality lithium carbonate per year in its first phase, enough to help power 800,000 EVs. The equity stake in Lithium Americas is the latest example of the direct intervention by the The President administration with private companies. The government is getting a 10% stake in Intel through the conversion of billions in previously granted government funds and pledges. The administration spent $400 million of taxpayer money in July on MP Materials stock to make the U.S government the biggest owner in the Las Vegas rare earths miner. The President also made a deal with Nvidia and AMD to give the U.S. government a 15% cut of revenue from selling certain chips to China. Lithium Americas said Wednesday that it reached a non-binding agreement in principle with the DOE to advance the first draw of $435 million on the federal loan. The DOE has agreed to defer $182 million of debt service over the first five years of the loan. The White House and Canada’s Lithium Americas seemed to be moving forward with the deal late last month, as both parties agreed on changes to an approximately $2.3 billion federal loan that could allow the project to move forward to extract the silver-white metal used in electric vehicle batteries. GM has pledged more than $900 million to help develop Thacker Pass, which holds enough lithium to build 1 million electric vehicles annually. Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush, called Thacker Pass is a “massive opportunity” for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on China and other foreign adversaries for lithium. “Despite having some of the largest deposits, the U.S. produced less than 1% of the global lithium supply but this deal helps reduce dependence on foreign adversaries for critical minerals strengthening domestic supply chains and ensuring better stewardship of American taxpayer dollars with lithium production set to grow exponentially over the coming years,” he wrote. Shares of Lithium Americas spiked more than 30% Wednesday. —Michelle Chapman, AP business writer View the full article

The federal government shut down after midnight last night. Capitol Hill is snarled by a partisan impasse, with no word as to which side might cave, work across the aisle, and try to garner the votes needed to pass a new spending bill. The last government shutdown was at the end of 2018—during President The President’s first term in office—and lasted into the early part of 2019. At 35 days, it was the longest shutdown in four decades. As for what caused this latest shutdown? In the simplest terms, a previously passed bill to fund the federal government’s operations expired as of Wednesday, October 1. The House and Senate need to pass a new spending bill, which then needs to be signed by the president, to keep the federal government operating. That hasn’t happened, and may not happen anytime soon. But while government shutdowns are not all that unusual, this shutdown is different—and for a simple reason: the Republican Party, which has majorities in both the House and Senate, as well as the White House, may have little or no motivation to reopen the government. ‘It’s very difficult to see what the exit strategy is’ Traditionally, politicians and elected officials have incentives to keep the government operating as smoothly as possible. This shows that they’re effective leaders, for one, and that they are capable of actually governing. If they’re unable to handle those basic aspects of their job descriptions as elected officials, conventional wisdom suggests that voters will make them pay for it at the ballot box. However, despite the prospect of electoral blowback, the majority party, in this case, appears to actually be relishing in the current circumstances. “The administration has historically been motivated to minimize the harm to the public . . . and that was even true for the previous shutdown during the first The President term,” says Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, who has worked in all three branches of the federal government starting in the early 1980s. “This time, the administration appears interested in using the shutdown to do extra damage to the government and the public,” Stier adds. “It’s very difficult to see what the exit strategy is—on one hand, you have an administration that wants to use the government to diminish the government, and the other side is motivated by an enraged base that wants them to make a stand. This is how [the Democrats] have chosen to do so.” Since The President took office early this year, he has presided over widespread spending cuts and reductions in government services. The shutdown, in some ways, actually works toward his administration’s goals of reducing the size and scope of the government. The president has even threatened mass layoffs in the event of a shutdown, something that goes way beyond the typical funding impasse rhetoric. And now that the government has in fact shut down, key services, far and wide, are either reduced or mothballed until a new spending bill is passed. Tens of thousands of government employees are or will be furloughed, laid off, or made to work without pay. The White House and its supporters in the GOP-controlled Congress appear unfazed—at least for now. Democrats, conversely, are incentivized by their own voters, and those voters have been clamoring for the party to stop making concessions. In terms of specific sticking points, Democrats want Republicans to fund healthcare subsidies to reduce premium costs for millions of Americans, which Republicans have, so far, balked at. So negotiations have devolved into a partisan blame game, with both parties hoping that voters will blame the other side for the shutdown. For evidence of how much worse the rhetoric is this time around, visit the website of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), whose home page currently displays a bright-red banner denouncing the “Radical Left in Congress.” What the parties are saying about blame In a joint statement, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that “after months of making life harder and more expensive, Donald The President and Republicans have now shut down the federal government because they do not want to protect the healthcare of the American people.” “Democrats remain ready to find a bipartisan path forward to reopen the government in a way that lowers costs and addresses the Republican healthcare crisis. But we need a credible partner,” the statement continued. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has cast the blame on Democrats, as reported by Fox News. “We simply asked Democrats to extend existing funding levels to allow the Senate to continue the bipartisan appropriations work that we started,” he said. “And Senate Democrats said no,” he added. “Why? Because far-left interest groups and far-left Democrat members wanted a showdown with the president. And so, Senate Democrats have sacrificed the American people to Democrats’ partisan interests.” Senator Ted Cruz, another stalwart Republican, echoed Thune in a statement of his own. “Senator Schumer and the Democrats have made it clear that they intend to shut down the federal government,” he said. “Their demands include taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens and a reversal of the Republican reforms blocking handouts to able-bodied adults who refuse to work.” As for whether the back-and-forth is making a meaningful impact, it remains to be seen. A poll, published on Tuesday by NPR/PBS News/Maris, showed that 38% of respondents blame Republicans for the shutdown, 27% blame Democrats, and 31% blame both. What’s next? It’s difficult to predict what happens next. In all likelihood, it’ll depend on which side blinks first, and which side sees members signal their willingness to vote for a new funding bill. Reporting from Punchbowl News, published Wednesday morning, notes that three Democratic senators have agreed to vote for a Republican-backed stopgap funding bill. But five more would need to come on board to pass it, as it would need a total of 60 votes in the Senate. And then the House would need to pass it as well. While there may be movement in response to voter sentiment in the days ahead, in the more immediate term, the back-and-forth public blame game will likely continue. But experts like Stier expect the country is in for a lengthy shutdown. The American people, he says, will start to feel the effects as the shutdown drags on. In time, that could incentivize legislators to move toward a solution, even if it means ending up with egg on their face. “Everybody gets hurt, and there’ll be some direct damage to people losing services,” Stier says. “I worry we’re not looking at a day-long shutdown, or even a lengthy one, like we had at the end of 2018. This could be much longer.” View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re tired of websites bombarding you with banners, pop-ups, trackers, and ads, this AdGuard family plan is worth a look: It's a lifetime subscription that is currently $39.99 on StackSocial (down from $119.99), but applying the coupon FAMPLAN drops the sale price to $15.97. The sale runs through October 5. It's a lifetime of ad-blocking for less than what some services charge per month, but it's only available to new users, and you’ll need to redeem your code within 30 days of buying it. You can access and utilize this plan across nine devices, making it a solid pick for families or anyone juggling multiple gadgets. It works on Windows (7 and later), macOS (10.15 and later), iOS (12 and later), and Android (7 and later), covering most modern setups. AdGuard goes beyond standard ad-blocking by filtering out annoying pop-ups, stopping autoplay videos, and blocking phishing attempts. It also reduces trackers that follow you around the internet, which means less targeted advertising and a little more privacy. Unlike browser-based ad blockers, AdGuard operates at the network level, allowing it to block ads in apps and games as well. Setup is straightforward—you’ll receive your redemption code via email immediately after purchase, allowing you to start using it right away. If you’re already an AdGuard user, this deal won’t apply to you, but for new users looking for a one-time payment solution to dodge ads and boost privacy across multiple devices, this might be one of the best deals out there right now. View the full article

Republicans and Democrats trade blame as services grind to a halt View the full article

President Donald The President’s administration said Wednesday it was putting a hold on roughly $18 billion to fund a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and the city’s expanded Second Avenue subway project because of the government shutdown. The White House budget director, Russ Vought, said on a post on X that the step was taken due to the Republican administration’s belief the money was based on unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion principles. In a statement, the U.S. Transportation Department said that it had been reviewing whether any “unconstitutional practices” were occurring in the two massive infrastructure projects but that the government shutdown had forced it to furlough the staffers conducting the review. “This is another unfortunate casualty of radical Democrats’ reckless decision to hold the federal government hostage to give illegal immigrants benefits,” the statement reads. The suspension of funds is likely meant to target Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, whom the White House is blaming for the shutdown. In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, Schumer said he and then-President Joe Biden were both “giddy” over the rail tunnel project, adding that it was all they talked about in the presidential limousine as they rode to the site. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, reacting to the development at a news conference about the federal government shutdown, told reporters, “The bad news just keeps coming,” adding that “they’re trying to make culture wars be the reason why.” “That’s what a partnership with Washington looks like as we’re standing here. We’ve done our part. We’re ready to build. It’s underway,” she said. “And now we realize that they’ve decided to put their own interpretation of proper culture ahead of our needs, the needs of a nation.” The Hudson River rail tunnel is a long-delayed project whose path toward construction has been full of political and funding switchbacks. It’s intended to ease the strain on a 110-year-old tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey. Hundreds of Amtrak and commuter trains carry hundreds of thousands of passengers per day through the tunnel, and delays can ripple up and down the East Coast between Boston and Washington The Second Avenue subway was first envisioned in the 1920s. The subway line along Manhattan’s Second Avenue was an on-again, off-again grail until the first section opened on Jan. 1, 2017. The state-controlled Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working toward starting construction on the second phase of the line, which is to extend into East Harlem. —Josh Boak, Associated Press Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre and Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report. View the full article

Not long after U.S. housing prices reached a record high this summer – the median existing home went for US$435,000 in June – President Donald The President said that he was considering a plan to make home sales tax-free. Supporters of the idea, introduced by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as the No Tax on Home Sales Act in July, say it would benefit working families by eliminating all taxes on the sales of family homes. But most Americans who sell their homes already do so tax-free. And the households that would gain most under The President’s proposals are those with the most valuable real estate. As a legal scholar who studies how taxes affect racial and economic inequality, I see this proposal as part of a familiar pattern: measures advertised as relief for ordinary families that mostly benefit the well-off. Most families already sell their homes tax-free Right now, according to the Internal Revenue Code, a single person pays no tax on the first $250,000 in gain from a home sale, while married people can exclude $500,000. All told, about 90% of home sales generate less than $500,000 in gains, so the overwhelming majority of sellers already owe no tax. The minority who would see new benefits from the proposed tax change are those with more than $500,000 in appreciation, typically owners of high-priced homes in hot real estate markets. Yale’s Budget Lab estimated the average benefit for these tax-free sales was $100,000 per qualifying seller. Homeownership itself isn’t equally distributed across the U.S. population. About 44% of Black Americans are homeowners, compared with 74% of white Americans. That racial gap has only widened over the past 10 years. Similarly, single women – particularly but not exclusively women of color – face additional barriers. A broader trend of upward wealth transference Though still just a proposal, the tax-free home sales bill is part of a broader set of Republican tax plans that would have regressive effects – that is, where the vast majority of benefits go to high-income people and very few to low-income people – under a pro-worker banner. The President floated the tax-free home sales idea less than three weeks after he signed a large package of tax and spending measures in July 2025. That bill generated strong public criticism because of its emphasis on tax savings for the rich at the expense of almost a trillion dollars in cuts for federally funded health care for the poor and disabled. The home sales idea follows the same script – and echoes the distributional pattern established by his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That tax reform increased racial wealth and income disparities and provided 80% of its benefits to corporations and high-income individuals. In fact, my research shows that white households received more than twice as many tax cuts as Black households from that law. The same dynamic plays out in this new tax-fueled housing policy. Eliminating capital gains taxes on home sales would primarily benefit the 29 million homeowners who already have substantial equity – a group that skews heavily white, male and upper middle class. Meanwhile, America’s millions of renters, disproportionately people of color and women, would receive no benefit while potentially losing access to social programs Congress must cut to fund these tax breaks. Beverly Moran is a professor emerita of law at Vanderbilt University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Zillow is facing mounting legal battles—including a lawsuit Tuesday brought by the Federal Trade Commission alleging that Zillow paid rival Redfin $100 million to exit and stop competing in the online apartment rental listings market. The FTC claims the arrangement—framed publicly as a “partnership”—was in fact an unlawful anticompetitive agreement that eliminated Redfin as a meaningful competitor in the online rental space. According to the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the February 2025 deal required Redfin to terminate its advertising contracts, step away from competing in multifamily property advertising for up to nine years, and act solely as a syndicator of Zillow’s rental listings. The FTC alleges the arrangement not only harmed Redfin employees—hundreds of whom were laid off—but also renters and property managers, who now face reduced competition, higher costs, and fewer innovations in rental search platforms. “Paying off a competitor to stop competing against you is a violation of federal antitrust laws,” wrote Daniel Guarnera, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, in a press release published on September 30. “Zillow paid millions of dollars to eliminate Redfin as an independent competitor in an already concentrated advertising market—one that’s critical for renters, property managers, and the health of the overall U.S. housing market. The FTC will do our part to ensure that Americans who are looking for safe, affordable rentals receive all the benefits of robust competition between internet listing services like Zillow and Redfin.” The suit is the fourth major legal challenge filed against Zillow in just over three months, underscoring growing scrutiny of the company’s business practices: June 23, 2025: Compass filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging Zillow’s “ban” on private listings was anticompetitive and harmed brokerages. July 30, 2025: Commercial real estate giant CoStar sued Zillow for copyright infringement, seeking more than $1 billion in damages. September 19, 2025: A class-action lawsuit was filed against Zillow, accusing the company of hiding agent fees within its Flex referral program. September 30, 2025: The FTC filed its suit alleging Zillow’s $100 million agreement with Redfin was designed to suppress competition in rental advertising. The rapid-fire succession of lawsuits—spanning copyright, antitrust, consumer protection, and federal enforcement—has put Zillow under one of the most intense legal spotlights in its corporate history. The outcomes could ripple well beyond Zillow itself, potentially influencing how much choice, transparency, and information consumers have when navigating the housing market. This will be something to watch in 2026 and beyond. View the full article

The Supreme Court said Wednesday that it would defer President Donald The President's request for a stay until after oral arguments scheduled for January 2026, allowing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to remain on the board at least until then. View the full article

As Liverpool gathering wraps up, debate focuses on how to tackle Nigel FarageView the full article

In relation to creating a logo, choosing the right AI tool can greatly impact your brand’s identity. These tools vary in features, from user-friendly interfaces to broad customization options. Whether you need a quick design or an all-encompassing branding solution, there’s an option for you. Grasping the strengths of each tool can help you make an informed decision. Let’s explore some of the best AI tools available for crafting stunning logos. Key Takeaways Looka offers an intuitive interface for quick logo generation, allowing users to create designs without prior experience, with options starting at around $20. Designhill Logo Maker provides high-quality design options with flexible pricing plans, ensuring logos reflect brand identity and available for multiple file formats. LogoMakr features extensive customization options and a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, making it a cost-effective choice for startups, priced at $29 for high-resolution downloads. Tailor Brands offers a subscription model with extensive branding services beyond logos, ideal for startups seeking cohesive brand identity at around $10 per month. Visual Electric caters to advanced designers with extensive customization tools and an “art direction” feature, available through a subscription starting at $20/month. Overview of AI Logo Generators AI logo generators have transformed the way you can create visual identities, making it easier than ever to design a logo that reflects your brand. These tools improve design accessibility and efficiency, allowing you to generate logos quickly without needing extensive design skills. As an online Canva company, you’ll appreciate the customization options many of these tools offer, enabling you to adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to fit your brand identity. With various pricing models available, from free trials to subscriptions, you can choose what suits your budget. Whereas AI-generated logos provide rapid iterations, consider seeking professional designer input for uniqueness and sophistication. Tools like Logo Joy are among the best AI to create logos, ensuring you have quality options at your fingertips. LogoMakr: Customization and Control LogoMakr stands out in the domain of logo creation tools by offering a high degree of customization and control for users. With an extensive selection of icons, fonts, and color palettes, you can create a unique logo that truly represents your brand. The user-friendly interface includes drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to position design elements quickly. Although you can download a basic version of your logo for free, high-resolution downloads are available for a one-time fee of about $29, with no recurring costs. This makes it a cost-effective choice for startups and small businesses. Nonetheless, keep in mind that steering through the many options may present a learning curve, especially compared to simpler platforms like logojoy ai or loca logo. Looka: User-Friendly Experience Have you ever wondered how easy it could be to create a professional logo without any design experience? Looka simplifies the process with its intuitive interface, allowing you to generate stunning logos quickly. Here’s how it works: Input Your Details: Enter your brand name, industry, and color preferences to customize your logo. Preview Options: Instantly see various logo designs customized to your input, enabling you to choose the best fit for your brand. Visualize Your Logo: Preview your logo on merchandise and branding materials, helping you envision its real-world application. Best of all, you can start for free, with downloads available for around $20, making it an affordable choice for startups and small businesses. Plus, Looka’s customer support is ready to assist you. Designhill Logo Maker: Professional Quality When you use the Designhill Logo Maker, you get access to high-quality design options that cater to professional needs. The platform offers a user-friendly interface, making it easier for you to create a logo that reflects your brand identity. With flexible pricing plans starting at around $20, you can choose a solution that fits your budget as you ensure you receive a polished result. High-Quality Design Options If you’re looking for a tool that delivers high-quality logos customized to your business needs, Designhill Logo Maker stands out as a strong option. This platform produces professional-looking logos suitable for various styles and industries. You can take advantage of a free trial to explore its features before fully committing. Here are three key benefits of using Designhill: Customization: The tool offers extensive options, allowing you to adjust designs to fit your brand identity. File Formats: You can access logos in multiple formats, making them ideal for both digital and print use. Affordability: High-resolution logos start at approximately $20, providing excellent value for professional quality. These features make Designhill a practical choice for effective branding. User-Friendly Interface Designhill Logo Maker features a user-friendly interface that makes the logo creation process straightforward, even for those with limited design experience. You can easily navigate through the platform, choosing from various templates and customizing them to suit your brand. The drag-and-drop functionality allows you to add elements and adjust colors seamlessly, ensuring your logo reflects your vision. Moreover, the platform offers a free trial, so you can explore its features without any commitment. Once you create your logo, you can download it in multiple file formats, making it versatile for both digital and print applications. Although the interface is typically intuitive, some users may find certain features complex at first, but with practice, you’ll gain confidence in using the tool effectively. Flexible Pricing Plans A flexible pricing plan is essential for anyone looking to create a professional logo without breaking the bank. Designhill Logo Maker offers various pricing options that cater to different needs. Here are some key features of their pricing structure: Free Trial: Test the platform before committing to a paid plan, ensuring you find the right design for your brand. Affordable Logos: High-resolution logos start at approximately $20, making it accessible for startups and small businesses. Additional Packages: For those seeking extensive branding solutions, Designhill provides higher-priced branding packages that include more options. The transparent pricing structure means you pay a one-time fee for downloads with no hidden charges, allowing you to budget effectively for your logo design. Brandmark: Extensive Customization Options When you’re looking to create a logo that truly reflects your brand identity, Brandmark‘s extensive customization options can be incredibly beneficial. The platform allows you to choose from a wide range of design elements, ensuring that your logo aligns with your specific preferences and industry standards. You can select various styles and layouts, making it easy to personalize your design. Brandmark also provides useful guidelines to help you navigate your choices, which can improve your decision-making process during creation. Furthermore, if you need more assistance, you can collaborate closely with a design team for a more refined outcome. With prices starting at $25, Brandmark offers options for different budgets and needs, making it accessible for all. Tailor Brands: Comprehensive Branding Suite Tailor Brands offers a subscription model that provides more than just logo design; it’s an all-encompassing branding suite. You can choose from various logo styles, like wordmarks, monograms, or icons, as you have the flexibility to edit your designs and download them in multiple formats. This platform is particularly useful for startups looking to create a cohesive brand identity without breaking the bank, as it caters to different business needs and budgets. Subscription Model Overview For those seeking a robust branding solution, the subscription model offered by Tailor Brands presents an appealing option. Starting around $10 per month, this model grants you access to an extensive branding suite that goes beyond logo design. Here are three key benefits of subscribing: AI-Driven Logo Creation: Tailor Brands uses advanced algorithms to generate customized logos based on your preferences and needs. Variety of Branding Tools: Subscribers can edit logos, access multiple download formats, and utilize additional marketing materials. Flexible Pricing: The subscription costs vary based on the specific services you choose, allowing you to customize your branding experience. This model primarily caters to U.S.-based startups, offering diverse style options like wordmarks, monograms, or icons for logo creation. Unique Design Features The extensive branding suite from Tailor Brands includes unique design features that set it apart in the logo creation scenery. You’ll find an AI logo designer that customizes logos according to your brand’s name, industry, and preferred style. This customized approach allows you to choose from specific styles like wordmark, monogram, or icon, ensuring your design meets your branding needs. In addition, Tailor Brands offers logo editing capabilities, so you can easily make adjustments to perfect your design. You’ll also gain from multiple download formats, making it convenient for both digital and print uses. With flexible pricing based on the services you choose, Tailor Brands accommodates businesses seeking personalized branding solutions effectively. Comprehensive Branding Solutions When you’re looking to establish a strong brand identity, utilizing an all-encompassing branding suite can streamline the process considerably. Tailor Brands offers a user-friendly platform that simplifies logo creation and branding management, making it ideal for startups and small businesses. Here are three key features to evaluate: AI Logo Designer: Generate unique logos customized to your style, with options like wordmark, monogram, or icon. Comprehensive Resources: Access a variety of tools, including business cards and marketing materials, all for around $10 per month. Multiple Download Formats: Easily download your logos in various formats, ensuring compatibility across different channels. With Tailor Brands, you can effectively create and manage your brand identity without needing extensive design skills. Visual Electric: Advanced Features for Designers Often regarded as a game-changer for designers, Visual Electric offers a user-friendly interface that closely resembles tools like Figma and other infinite canvas applications. This familiarity enables you to navigate the platform easily. You’ll find extensive customization options, allowing you to fine-tune your logo designs more effectively than traditional AI generators. Nonetheless, keep in mind that Visual Electric operates on a subscription model starting at $20/month, which can feel overwhelming without a clear vision. The AI text rendering might present challenges, requiring you to iterate for the perfect look. Fortunately, the “Art direction” tool aids in refining your logos, enhancing your design process swiftly, typically within just ten minutes. This tool can be particularly valuable in achieving professional results efficiently. Recommendations for Effective Logo Creation Creating an effective logo requires a thoughtful approach, especially when using AI tools. To guarantee your logo meets your brand’s needs, follow these recommendations: Choose User-Friendly Tools: Utilize AI logo generators like Looka or Hatchful for quick, accessible designs that don’t require extensive skills. Customize for Uniqueness: Explore options in tools like LogoMakr or Designhill to reflect your brand’s identity and vision accurately. Understand Pricing Structures: Evaluate the pricing of each tool, noting that some, like Canva’s Dream Lab, may offer free usage up to a limit, whereas others may have subscription fees or one-time costs. Frequently Asked Questions Which AI Tool Creates the Most Realistic Images? When choosing an AI tool for creating realistic images, consider your specific needs. Tools like DALL-E and Midjourney excel in generating high-quality, lifelike visuals through advanced algorithms. They analyze input data carefully, providing stunning results. You should explore various options, as each tool offers unique features. Check out user reviews and sample outputs to find the best fit for your project. In the end, your choice will depend on the level of detail and style you prefer. Conclusion To summarize, choosing the right AI logo generator can greatly impact your brand’s identity. Consider tools like Looka and Designhill for user-friendly options, or Tailor Brands for an all-encompassing branding suite. For experienced designers, Visual Electric offers advanced features. Evaluate each platform based on your specific needs, such as customization and ease of use. By selecting the right tool, you can create a unique and professional logo that effectively represents your brand’s vision and values. Image Via Envato This article, "Best AI Tools to Create Stunning Logos" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article