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In-house learning: good for employees, good for your organization
February 21st, 2023 by admin
When the Covid curveball hit, the world had to act fast. One such arena for radical re-thinking and rapid change was the workplace, with industries everywhere needing to adopt wide-ranging transformations to remain operational in the face of massive global challenges. Some of these changes were temporary; some have become permanent – and some are forming the roots that will grow into new kinds of work altogether.
Technology is the common denominator in the majority of the adaptations in the corporate space over the last two years. It has enabled businesses to continue manufacturing or trading, with teams operating remotely, collaborating online and with delivery (of either physical or online products) powered by a myriad of IT solutions and applications.
The way we work is always in a state of flux, but companies are now working at an accelerated pace to ensure that:
- they can leverage the powers of technology to help employees create, innovate and be as efficient as possible, and
- they are fully prepared for an uncertain future.
If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that we are all learning together – from CEOs down to the newest recruits. Companies can use learning to their advantage in two ways: to ensure their employees have the tools and knowledge at their disposal to work efficiently and creatively, and also to stimulate team spirit and a sense of involvement in the business. This is especially important for remote workers, and it ensures everyone has equal access to training to grow their skills and boost their careers.
Dedicated learning is a smart move for organizations to nurture their employees’ skills and help them to put them to best use for the company’s benefit. Gone are the days, however, where being sent on a course and taking pen-and-paper notes that are forgotten a week later will deliver the results organizations need. Relevant training, delivered onsite by a trainer who understands that learning needs to be interactive and engaging if it is to stick, will provide real value to employees. And if it is tech-based, so much the better, as this will be an extension of the digitally-led learning experienced by younger employees in school – and will be equally as engaging for older employees, too.
Our corporate training solution, SoftLINK, has helped businesses across a variety of industries to provide engaging training sessions. To read more about how it could help your company, check out our white paper here.
They said what?!
February 17th, 2023 by admin
See what our customers said about our corporate solutions…
Keeping a business running smoothly and successfully is an all-hands-on-deck task that incorporates not just the management and IT teams, but staff and customers as well. So, when it comes down to providing the best service to customers and staff – only the best technology will do.
Now’s the time to re-evaluate your business’s solutions to ensure you have the right tools to address any current challenges and needs, while also having the ability to flex to support the growing demands of your company.
When evaluating new technology, it’s imperative to ‘try before you buy’ – so, be sure to download a free trial to ensure it does what you need, when and how you need it. Before making any final decisions, find out how other companies are using the solution to support their businesses.
At Applied Computer Systems, our solutions are co-produced and designed to make IT management easier while boosting staff productivity, security and resources. That’s why we’re proud to hear what our customers think about our award-winning solutions.
They said what?! Find out what our customers said below…
Notify – mass alerting and notification
“Notify saves time that would have been wasted on delivering messages in person. It’s a much quicker way to get messages out to large numbers of staff.” Read the full case study here.
“After we implemented NetSupport DNA, the situation was very different and, as it gathers so much data from each device automatically (storage, CPU, installed applications etc), we now have complete hardware and software inventories for all of our computers. It has helped us meet that need very well.” Read the full case study here.
Manager – secure remote control
“Manager has meant increased productivity for me and the user. I don’t have to travel to remote locations or users’ desks to investigate issues. I can work on more than one issue at a time by logging into multiple computers at the same time, meaning that the user’s issue can be resolved sooner.” Read the full case study here.
SoftLINK – complete classroom monitoring & management
“SoftLink has been invaluable to us during these remote trainings. It has undoubtedly saved dozens of hours of work across multiple trainers and training sessions. It’s easy to use, seamless to the trainee and easy to show new trainers how to use it.” Read the full case study here.
Learn more about our award-winning solutions below. To find out how our solutions could benefit your company, try them all for FREE!
Did you know? Applied computer Systems’ learning solutions are eligible for ESSER funding!
April 20th, 2022 by admin
Support student engagement and flexible learning with SoftLINK
As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in spring 2020, the U.S. Department of Education awarded more than $13 billion in assistance funding to elementary and secondary schools across the country under the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
As part of that, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund is available to help States and school districts lessen the impact of school closures by implementing measures to address significant learning loss, as well as putting mechanisms in place to reopen schools safely.
On December 27, 2020, an additional $54.3 billion was released for an ESSER II Fund to further support schools and their students as the pandemic continues. In March 2021, $123 billion was added under ESSER III fund.
What does this mean for your school?
ESSER II and ESSER III funds must be used by September 30, 2022 and September 30, 2023. And with Applied Computer Systems’ solutions, you can gain feature-rich classroom management and instruction tools for in-school learning via SoftLINK or essential cloud-based teaching and online safety tools for blended learning via our other classroom management solutions. All of these products qualify for ESSER funding
Hot Tips to Evaluate and Elevate your Technology
January 24th, 2022 by admin
At the heart of any organization is the people, but the technology they use is an important part of what helps them – and the company – achieve greatness!
It’s therefore crucial that company technology is evaluated to ensure it’s meeting current and future needs, before leaping into buying more or new hardware and software solutions.
Evaluating tech can help you…
- Check it’s meeting your current and/or future needs: Solution flexibility is important to ensure it can evolve and support you through an ever-changing landscape – whether it’s supporting new or more devices, adapting to new working environments (office vs remote) or supporting a new need or function.
- Check it’s being used and not collecting dust: One of the main reasons for not using technology is because it’s too complicated. Check with stakeholders if they find the tool easy to use. Do they need more training to maximize its benefits? And are they the right people to be using it in the first place?
- Check your compliance: Data protection is a key consideration for all companies, and so ensuring you’re meeting the latest requirements is key. Review what data your technology does capture and how it’s stored.
- Check spending: Is your technology owned or on a subscription basis? Are the costs increasing and is it still affordable? These questions can help you plan future spending and review cost vs benefits.
Once you have evaluated your products, you can make a better-informed decision about the next steps in your tech journey!
Learn how DNA can help you track assets, manage licensing, meter application usage, and more
Attain Better Wellbeing in 2022 With Tech Use Goals
January 18th, 2022 by admin
Once again, it’s a brand-new year and we are all starting to think about our goals for the year.
If you were one of the many who took the opportunity to have time away from screens and social media over the holidays, it’s a safe bet you’ll be feeling better and more chilled for it. Even 24 hours away can make a big difference and remind us of what life should be like without the pressure of having to get the perfect photo for Instagram, be the first to comment on Twitter or keep up with the latest on TikTok/Snapchat/Facebook/insert other social media apps of choice here.
Even though we’re back at work, wouldn’t it be great to keep that feeling going and have better mental health all year round? Perhaps now’s the time to create an orderly digital environment for yourself – both in and outside of the office – specifically with your wellbeing in mind.
Clean up
It’s often said that “a tidy home equals a tidy mind” – and that’s true for your digital ‘home’ as well. Being clutter-free and knowing what you’ve got and where it is (on both your home and work PCs) is liberating, so let’s get tidying!
Ways you can clean up in your digital world include:
- Deleting old social media posts
- Closing old accounts of any kind you no longer use
- Unsubscribing from emails and newsletters you don’t read
- Reviewing old blog posts (everyone’s life, views and circumstances change over time)
- Sorting through your browser bookmarks and getting rid of those you no longer look at to give yourself a better user experience.
Here’s a goal you can consider for the year when you sign up for something new: take action at the start to prevent notification stress later on. For instance, are you tired of emails wanting to ‘help you get back onto’ a certain type of social media, notifying you every time you get an interaction or when you’ve updated something? Make the effort to go into the app’s settings and change your notification preferences. Sounds like a chore, but the few minutes it takes are SO worth it for an in-box with reduced clutter.
Make a stand
These days, it’s not enough to simply use a service; increasingly, we need to know what’s behind it. For example, we all need electricity, but how is it produced? With the push towards being more environmentally aware, people want to make more responsible choices and do so by selecting renewable energy suppliers.
In the same way, people are now more concerned about what the providers of the tech services they use are doing, e.g., whether they pay their taxes or how they treat their workers. They can then act on that information and choose to either sign up or go to a different provider who operates more in line with their way of thinking.
A similar principle can apply to internet searching, whether at work or at home. Don’t like the way some providers collect your data? Consider changing your browser to one that affords you greater protection and privacy, such as Firefox – and think about doing the same with your search engine. If you don’t want Google to know everything you do online, then move away. Other search engines like DuckDuckGo and Quant are just as good these days and have multiple security and privacy protections built in for your peace of mind.
Stay in control
At work, minimize hassle by cultivating a habit of tidiness – create rules for email folders, set up a folder structure for your ongoing work and archived items – and try to stick to it. They say it only takes 21 days to form a habit (depending on how rewarding it is and how much effort it takes), but the effort to get there can pay dividends. It’s all about banishing stress by creating an orderly environment that delivers ease of use, calm and control for you.
In terms of dialling back or moderating your personal tech use, there are a few simple tips you can try. Although they may seem difficult at first, we think they’re actually pretty achievable. Things like:
- leaving your phone at home sometimes when you go for a walk
- leaving your earbuds out occasionally and listening to the sounds of your surroundings
- stepping away from the TV one night a week and doing something productive – not a chore, but a hobby
- setting app timers to reduce daily social media exposure and noticing how you feel (or, if you’re feeling brave, uninstalling the apps from your phone and accessing them via PC only)
- enjoying experiences in the first person rather than constantly photographing or videoing them.
Be easy on yourself with these goals, but not so easy that nothing gets done! After all, it’s all about your mental health and wellbeing, so any changes you can make in your tech life to decrease stress, even on a micro level, have got to be worth it. Good luck!