Changing and advancing technology has affected multiple industries, especially construction. Instead of relying solely on skills, blueprints, and a few tools to turn raw material into masterpieces, workers have an entirely different resource available.

New technology streamlines processes, making many construction projects quicker, easier, and more accurate. Look at some of the more dramatic changes to technology and how each plays a role in the ever-changing landscape of the construction industry.

Building Information Modeling or BIM is perhaps one of the most notable of all technologies now used in construction. For virtual building models with extreme precision, this collaborative and drafting software is ideal.

BIM serves yet another purpose. Engineers can store information on the design, construction, and maintenance of different structures, including roads, buildings, tunnels, and bridges.

Overall, the BIM technology helps engineering specialists build complete projects digitally. Similar to a prototype part or component, the model gives builders and architects the opportunity to make changes before actually starting a project.

As you can see, there are multiple benefits to BIM.

For instance, instead of using traditional design sketches and blueprints, builders, contractors, architects, and other people involved with a construction project can use the 3D rendering to see virtually every detail, including walls, doors, windows, appliances, plumbing fixtures, and interior and exterior surfaces.

With everything combined, BIM gives people in the construction industry the opportunity to view a project before it’s physically completed. Using the rendering as a guide, this allows changes for changes to ensure a flawless outcome.

However, there’s one challenge to overcome before the construction industry can fully benefit from BIM. In 2017, the one struggle nearly all construction companies faced was not finding the required BIM training.

For surveying construction sites, especially those of significant size, drones prove extremely valuable. These unmanned aerial vehicles give builders, designers, and architects a bird’s eye view of projects without hiring a helicopter or airplane pilot.

The price of a pilot’s service exceeds using a drone. With an initial investment of $500 to $1,000 per drone, most construction companies can afford to add at least one aerial vehicle to its arsenal of tools. Even start-up and smaller operations have no problem taking advantage of drones.

Technology has even changed materials science. As an example, construction workers can now choose self-leveling and self-healing concrete over ordinary material that tends to crack, pit, and flake over time. There’s even permeable concrete, which allows water to drain through it as opposed to pooling.

Although not yet an option, one firm is trying to create engineering living materials. When this concept comes to fruition, it will allow for greener manufacturing processes and biologically sustainable buildings and other structures.

As stated by Justin Gallivan of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), “Imagine that instead of shipping finished materials, we can ship precursors and rapidly grow them on site using local resources.”

Along with creating prosthetics, artwork, musical instruments, and more, 3D printing has become a valuable tool for the construction industry. Some companies claim they can print an entire house in just 24-hours at a cost far below conventional construction.

As 3D printing becomes even more viable, it could have a direct impact on laborers. In their place, companies that adopt this revolutionary technology need skilled designers and software operators.

Without using standard construction materials, 3D printing could cause a significant ripple for companies supplying lumber, brick, rock, gravel, and other building materials.

Accelerated speed, reduced cost, and precision design make 3D printing in the construction industry increasingly attractive, not only to builders but also consumers. Innovators around the globe are trying to change the method of designing and building homes and businesses.

AR, the acronym for Augmented Reality, is beginning to play a more significant role in the construction industry. This technology places images over what is actually in front of the viewer.

Wearing what looks like safety goggles, construction workers in the field can view “blueprints” while on the job, making it easier for them to create perfect structures.

When it comes to labor-intensive jobs, nothing surpasses the construction industry. Working with heavy materials, tools, and equipment, people in this industry rely a lot on muscle. With the robotics technology, laborers would receive assistance in handling certain objects and performing various tasks.

Experts agree it will be quite a while before humans and robots actually work as a team. However, when that time comes, robots can take over some of the more laborious work.

There’s a significant volume of paper associated with the construction industry for things like drawings, invoices, meeting notes, contracts, and more. Thanks to technology in the form of digital collaboration tools, the amount of paperwork is decreasing.

Not only do these tools eliminate unnecessary paper, but they also create an easy-to-follow communication and action trail. Using these tools, any authorized individual can view documents and determine who else has seen or changed them.

There’s also a safety factor to consider. In case of a fire, the digitally stored information has full protection.

As technology continues to disrupt the construction industry, it becomes critical for people to have proper training. At Go1, we offer thousands of articles, podcasts, and videos on multiple topics relating to the construction industry.

You and your team can learn about digital document storage, 3D printing, and much more. Prepare your employees for the technological changes already affecting this industry and those on the horizon.

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How can technology disrupt the construction industry?

Designing eLearning content and online training courses for your staff or students?

You’ll need to make sure the content you’re creating is SCORM compliant.

eLearning professionals often work in authoring tools such as Captivate or Articulate to design their online courses. They then have the option of exporting the content to a SCORM package.

You might have already carried out this task yourself many times – but have you ever wondered why it’s so important to make your training content SCORM compliant? Many people working in the L&D industry are aware of the term, but not so familiar with the technology itself.

Taking the time to learn a little more about the SCORM model can help content creators gain more of an understanding and appreciation of its impact on the eLearning industry.

Simply put, SCORM helps your Learning Management System and content to work together. Having your content packaged into SCORM files will ensure your learning materials can be read and run on different learning platforms, reaching a wide audience of learners.

If you’re keen to learn more about how SCORM works and why you need to make your learning content SCORM compliant, you’ve come to the right place.

Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about SCORM and why it’s so important for online learning.

First things first – what is this SCORM acronym all about? Well, SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model.

Sharable Content Object (SCO) refers to the units of online learning material the LMS delivers to learners.

In essence, these SCOs can be thought of as building blocks. An online course will be made up of different building blocks: an HTML page, image, audio file, or flash-based quiz, for example. Your LMS will then link all those smaller building blocks into a logical set of SCOs for specific instructions.

The Reference Model indicates that SCORM is a kind of standard or model, to help govern eLearning content and achieve consistency and compliance across the industry.

You might be wondering how long SCORM has been used in the eLearning industry.

SCORM was first released in early 2000 and is considered to be “the most commonly used content standard in eLearning” standardising learning content between the industry’s many different developers and vendors.

Before the release of SCORM in 2000, creating course content that could run on multiple devices and systems was far more difficult – and costly! After all, there was no guarantee that the learning content you’d created would be able to be integrated and used on other Learning Management Systems or platforms.

With SCORM, trainers and content creators are able to successfully collaborate and use eLearning course content across multiple tools and systems.

How has SCORM helped the eLearning industry?

Since the arrival of SCORM, creating online learning courses is so much easier, with the SCORM model simplifying how eLearning content works with different platforms and tools.

When departments work autonomously, developing their own eLearning courses and delivering them via the LMS of their choice, it can lead to problems with content duplication and information all over the place. With SCORM, we have a set of technical standards to improve interoperability between eLearning products.

Let’s say you design eLearning content through a tool like Captivate – with SCORM, you can upload that content into a Learning Management System of your choice.

This powerful plug-and-play functionality means that eLearning content can be simply created once, and then used in many different systems and situations without modification.

So you now know why it’s so important to make your learning content SCORM compliant. Next step is to understand just how SCORM files work.

You’ve no doubt seen many eLearning courses and training tools advertising themselves as ‘SCORM compliant’. Basically, this means that the files have been packaged up in line with SCORM standards, ready to be uploaded into a SCORM compliant system. SCORM files look just like a zip file and will contain all of the files needed to make the eLearning content run.

This means they’ve been developed to fit SCORM’s technical specifications and should work with all compliant technologies and content.

If you get a little lost when it comes to the technical side of things, think of a DVD. Imagine if our favourite movie could only be played in certain DVD players. SCORM is the magic that makes your online course able to be played on any LMS.

 What are the benefits of being SCORM compliant?

The benefits of making your online training materials SCORM compliant extend to your learners, eLearning providers, the business, and yourself as content creator.

For content creators, you won’t be wasting your time, energy and money designing and developing training courses that can’t be used. After all, if an LMS can’t read your learning content, your online course is already doomed. As you can see, it’s vital that your eLearning materials are SCORM compliant.

SCORM also allows you to be more flexible when it comes to the eLearning platform you choose to use – you can even switch platforms later down the track. Learning content can then be easily customised without the need for costly and time-consuming re-coding.

In terms of your business, creating SCORM compliant material will help you to reach more learners, as it’s more widely accepted. You’ll also have peace of mind that technology platforms will be able to read and run your course materials, well into the future.

SCORM: What is SCORM and why does it matter?

What technology solutions are you using to hire and develop your employees? How well are these tools working for you and your HR team?

Technology is moving and changing rapidly in the HR landscape. And investing in contemporary tech solutions is an important part of efficient human resource management.

With the right technology, human resources professionals can work to greater understand a company’s biggest asset – its people. By keeping up-to-date with emerging HR tech, your human resources department will be able to greatly improve the way they’re recruiting, onboarding, training and managing employees.

Each new year brings further advancements in workplace technology, and we are currently seeing more exciting developments taking place in the HR space.

Here are some of the top emerging technology solutions for HR teams that are helping to revolutionise business as we know it.

The Ongoing Rise of Cloud-Based Solutions

Josh Bersin is founder of Bersin by Deloitte, a provider of global research in human resources and HR technology. Bersin has been analysing the HR tech market for almost 20 years and believes things are moving faster than ever in 2018.

Among the top disruptions in the HR sector are cloud-based solutions for human resource teams.

These days, “the question for most companies is no longer if you go to the cloud, but rather when and how,” Bersin says, with more and more organisations using cloud-based solutions such as HRMS (human resource management software) and HCM (human capital management) tools for payroll, onboarding, talent management, financial services and other ERP solutions.

Moving to cloud-based systems can provide organisations with greater collaboration, innovation and agility, while streamlining HR operations such as goal setting, coaching, feedback and evaluation.

Bersin also sees productivity to be the big topic in business today, as organisations embrace new tech tools that can help their teams achieve greater productivity.

“Burnout, focus, and employee engagement are all issues, and we are now dealing with email, messaging from many different systems, and a plethora of communication tools that overwhelm most of us,” Bersin says.

In response to this, he believes we’ll see more HR software emerging that’s been specifically created to improve productivity and help teams work better together.

David D’Souza, head of engagement at CIPD, agrees that there is some really interesting work being done in the partnership between human resources and technology.

“HR leaders need to become far, far more technology aware – outside of our traditional realms of HR systems – and start thinking about how technology can be used to support performance and reinforce culture,” he says.

We’ve talked a lot about gamification in the workplace over the last year. And now we’re seeing it extend to the human resources space.

We know gamification technology has huge potential for changing the future of our workplaces, particularly when it comes to learning environments.

The application of gaming design psychology and principles to learning content has been shown to increase employee engagement and motivation, while encouraging individuals to hit learning goals faster.

Gamification is now being successfully adopted by HR teams to make recruitment, learning and development processes more fun, interactive and successful.

We will also see the recruitment process revolutionised by the next generation of screening technology being automated.

This new type of technology is being used to carry out the early stages of the interview process, through innovative use of chat bots, facial expression analysis and video interviewing.

“High volume recruitment (hospitality, services, healthcare, retail) is being automated by chatbots and other new tools; skilled job recruitment is being revolutionized by open sourcing tools, [and] more automated applicant tracking systems,” explains Birsin.

Chatbots have become increasingly popular across the customer service and marketing spaces, and they are now being successfully adopted by human resource departments.

D’Souza also believes that the use of chatbots will really take off over the next year.

“They have the potential to make real differences to the efficiency of HR teams whilst also improving speed – and potentially accuracy – of response for employees,” he says.

Companies spend billions each year on recruitment, so this development will certainly save businesses a considerable amount of time and money.

If you’re a HR manager, you should be constantly thinking about what avenues you can explore to improve the way you hire, onboard, train and manage staff. Having relevant, up-to-date technology solutions that are easily accessible is critical.

Keeping abreast of emerging developments in HR tech can help you improve your human resources strategy while bringing great benefits to the business and its employees.

The emerging HR tech that is revolutionising business as we know it

A Learning Management System or LMS has become a critical part of the e-learning process. This system includes beginner to expert guides, articles, blogs, tips, and more. Because an LMS offers different outcomes and strategies, the primary goal in using it depends on your company’s objectives. However, the primary purpose of implementing this system is to deploy and track online training courses.

For a Learning Management System, a software program uploads a host of courses. Your management and their teams then have easy access to online information, perfect for gaining new knowledge and skills or honing existing ones. After selecting the preferred LMS, users with the login details and password have vast resources at their fingertips.

Although LMS benefits have a broad reach, it is essential that you first determine whether your company is ready for this method of online learning. You need to identify training and organisation objectives before taking the leap. Simplify your decision by using the tips provided.

LMS Project Validity – Conduct an audit of the learning environment and the staff that would use the system to confirm the readiness of your organisation. As part of that, analyze how many online training courses the system would need to offer and the number of users that would utilize them. Also, consider the length of time it would take for your leadership team to get up-to-speed on assigning courses to their groups and running vital reports.

Improving on Compliance – If your company is among those mandated to stay compliant with current laws, regulations, and policies, but you struggle to ensure everyone has the same knowledge and applies it the correct way, an LMS is ideal. Remember, the more compliant your organisation is, the less the risk of receiving hefty fines or having employees injured or worse. Staying compliant also helps your business improve on efficiency, giving it a competitive edge.

Solid Content Strategy – You need to identify your content strategy. Because the LMS becomes the “go to” for all training, seldom will your organisation rely on outside sources like courseware vendors and universities. By brainstorming about the type and volume of content required for your LMS the better opportunity your company has to succeed. When conducting your internal audit, determine the content your employees want and need, as well as the most efficient way to distribute the courses throughout the organisation.

Standardization – It would be far better to take a little extra time to launch an organised and standardized LMS than to back up after to clean things up. Not only do you need a professionally designed system layout but you should also come up with topic headings, course categories, report names, and so on. With standardization, everyone within your organisation uses the same LMS language and gains a better understanding of how the system works.

Phasing – While some companies perform a complete rollout of an LMS, you might start by introducing yours in phases. Initially, allow willing participants to take various courses that will help them perform better in their respective positions. With a successful first phase, you can then offer the system to everyone. Depending on your company’s specific needs, you may or may not at some point make the LMS mandatory.

Establish Realistic Expectations – Any time companies introduce something new, they want it to achieve immediate success. An LMS is no different. However, to avoid frustration and unnecessary stress, it is imperative that you have realistic expectations. You may find the rollout going smoothly but more than likely, you will face a few bumps in the road, which is why good preparedness is so critical.

Reasons for Implementing an LMS Into Your Organisation

Enhanced Leadership – Because your managers, administrators, or directors will typically determine the courses their teams take, they play a crucial role in the Learning Management System. For one thing, they can also benefit from the available online courses, but they can also produce different reports to identify strengths and weaknesses within their groups. As a result, your leadership team becomes more effective and has the information required to make personnel or work adjustments that would benefit their department and the organisation overall.

New Hire Orientation – An LMS is perfect for all new hires. Having onboarded employees complete specific online training courses, they start off understanding the company’s policies and expectations. Although you can still hold an employee orientation meeting and hand out booklets, the best way to get the message across is with an LMS.

Employee Training – An LMS is excellent for employees who need training for a new position in another department, have different responsibilities within their current group, or to improve productivity and performance. With online courses developed and often presented by industry experts, this system is an excellent way to learn. An LMS is a more cost-effective and successful approach compared to bringing outside instructors into the organisation to provide training.

Retaining Knowledge – Whether having your employees complete training on an individual or group basis, an LMS helps with knowledge, information, techniques, and skill retention. You want your entire staff to succeed, not just for themselves but also for the organisation.

Is your organisation ready for a Learning Management System?

Technology is redefining many industries in more ways than we can even begin to imagine. New concepts and their potential applications are getting discovered every passing day. As technology becomes more and more advanced, the e-commerce industry is moving with it.

E-commerce stores are continuously growing and providing more advanced ways to relate to their customers. With the evolving technologies and their multiple benefits, many businesses have been adapting them into offering promotional offers with the sole purpose of enticing new customers and keeping the old ones loyal. If you want to create, sell or distribute your online services, you will need a platform with strong eCommerce features. Therefore, there are several things you need to consider to stay relevant in this new digital era.

So which technologies exactly are leading the peak in shaping the e-commerce landscape today? This article will highlight a few of the leading trendsetters and find out what ripples they are causing.

With thousands of currencies all over the world, the introduction of a decentralized currency was one of the greatest news the e-commerce industry could ever receive. Blockchain has streamlined the online payment process by ensuring that there's a single digital space where transactions take place and that the issue of currency exchanges is a thing of the past. People can carry out online transactions freely without interference from governments, the hustle of exchange rates and the fear of lack of transparency. It is very easy to keep track of a transaction information since everything is carried out in the digital space. So many people have begun carrying out transactions using cryptocurrencies like the Bitcoin due to the increased level of transparency. Business owners enjoy this technology since it has broadened their market coverage and increased profitability.

This is the ability to allow customers to make purchases with just a single click. With this, there is easier check out of goods since customers get to skip the cart and go directly to checkout. The good news is, this is no longer available to Amazon customers only since their patent expired last year. Shopify, Stripe and other companies have also jumped on the bandwagon enabling their customers to enjoy this amazing technology. This new technology has not only brought about higher conversion rates but also repeat customer purchases. The one click check out is good for business since the efficient check out process enhances profitability since more goods will be purchased by the clients.

Voice shopping can best be described as making purchases using smart speakers. This practice is becoming common every day but most people are not aware that it has been available for quite some time now. Today, a number of homes already have these speakers and the number is expected to grow rapidly over the years. Amazon’s Echo has especially dominated the voice shopping market competition but other players are slowly catching up. In a few years, voice shopping is expected to dominate the e-commerce industry and this can be attributed to technology.

AR technology allows consumers to interact with products virtually. It allows the consumers to visualize and imagine what owning a particular product might actually feel like. It gives customers the chance to experiment with technology. A great example is IKEA Place that allows the customer to virtually put furniture in their home and imagine the end result through their phones. With this kind of technology in place, search capability is enhanced enabling customers to search and purchase products that perfectly suits their needs.

So many sites have chatbots to enable them to interact with their customers efficiently. In the past, these chatbots were not as effective as they are now. In recent times, chatbots have become more human-like and super-fast in their responses. This means that customer service in these platforms is top notch. Recently, chatbots have been enhanced to have the quickest responses and to analyze and store a lot of vital information. Lately, many of these bots are becoming even more efficient and smart, by adapting to different languages and offering instant translated communication. Companies can quickly obtain information from the customers, analyze the information and come up with the best strategies to perfectly align the best support, services, and products with customer needs.

These tools enhance the relationships between businesses and their customers. A more efficient and fluid user experience translates to profit, and profit is the primary business of an e-commerce store. Technology has therefore played a huge role in reshaping the e-commerce space, and will only continue to do so. Advancement in technology enables businesses to come up with the best methods to suit their customers' needs. No one knows what the future holds but it does seem pretty bright.

Rilind Elezaj is an experienced a Digital Marketing Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Rilind possesses a strong entrepreneurial mindset and has devoted his career to enhancing the sphere of digital marketing. In his methodological approach, Rilind integrates web development and other digital marketing solutions to create hybrid strategies that bring the best results.

How technology is redefining user experiences

For devotees of Microsoft Office, it is almost time for our triennial event: the unveiling of new versions of Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and the rest of our “can’t work without ‘em” office apps.

Except…this year is different.  In 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016 we watched as the folks in Redmond released the new version of Microsoft Office, and, depending on your level of enthusiasm for the new features, we either rushed out to upgrade or decided to wait another three years.  What makes Office 2019 different is two things:

There aren’t very many new features, and

You probably already have them (if you use Office 365)

You see, back in 2015 Microsoft decided to be more like popular cloud-based apps such as Salesforce or Google Apps by updating their apps on a more regular basis.  For Windows 10 this meant monthly security updates and semi-annual feature updates.  For Microsoft Office, this meant that they would push hard to encourage people to use their subscription-based Office 365 product, and that they would reward their Office 365 customers with monthly updates.

So when Excel 2016 for example was officially released in September 2015, it was just the first version that Office 365 subscribers would see.  Since then there have been 30 updates (almost but not quite monthly), which have added new features.  Some of the updates were small and unnoticed by most people.  Some were only useful to power users or people with touch screens.  A few were more broadly valuable, including improved abilities to share and co-edit spreadsheets, or the ability to add 3D models and SVG graphics.

If, however, you do not get your Office through Office 365, then your version of Excel 2016 is that same version that was released three years ago, without any of the intervening feature updates.

In October Microsoft is expected to officially take the latest versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access, along with all the feature updates that Office 365 users have already received, and call it Office 2019.  So if you are an Office 365 user, you’ll see very little difference.

If you are NOT an Office 365 user, and your organization does plan to move from the “traditional” version of Excel 2016 to 2019, here are some of the new features you can look out for:

Improved graphics:  Excel (and other Office apps) now support SVG image files, which can be scaled to any size without looking fuzzy, as well as 3D models.  The 3D models option sounds like something engineers might use, but really it’s great for clipart – you can grab a 3D model from Microsoft’s library at Remix3D.com and then tilt or rotate it to just the right angle to fit your need.

Ink & Stylus support:  On computers with a touchscreen or stylus you can draw freehand directly on your spreadsheet (or document in Word) using a variety of virtual pens and pencils.  You can convert your sketches to shapes if needed, and your customized pens will show up in any Office app.

Improved sharing and co-authoring:  It’s now very easy to share a spreadsheet from inside Microsoft Excel, which can include the ability to allow someone else to co-edit the spreadsheet with you at the same time.  This requires a cloud storage solution such as Microsoft’s OneDrive, SharePoint, Groups, or Teams, but can also work with some third-party solutions such as Dropbox.

New Charts, Functions, and Features: There are a handful of new charts and functions, the most useful of which might be the Stock Quote function.  A few new features can be handy, including the autosave feature for cloud-hosted files, and the Microsoft Translator tool to work with different languages.

Overall there is no big “wow” feature added to Excel this time, just lots of smaller but solid new tools and features that help to improve the world’s most popular number-crunching app.

For an overview of how to use all the new features found in Excel 2019, check out the “What’s New in Excel 2019” training course from Bigger Brains, available now in Go1 Premium. Contact Go1 today to get started!

Chip Reaves is the founder of Bigger Brains, an award-winning eLearning company, and has been an IT consultant for 30+ years. Formerly the founder of the worldwide Computer Troubleshooters franchise, Chip has been named one of the top 150 most influential people in small business IT and is a frequent speaker and contributor on Office 365 and Microsoft topics.

When you rely on a Learning Management System available on the best platform, you and your staff have access to thousands of incredible online courses. Keep in mind that the “best” courses vary from one organization to another based on specific goals and objectives. However, with training developed by industry experts, employees on all levels benefit.


User Pacing – Whether your employees take advantage of e-learning at home or while on the job, they should have the opportunity to work at a comfortable pace. The goal is to make online courses fun and enjoyable, not something your teams dread.

Multimedia – Although an excellent platform offers a ton of written courses, the best ones include multimedia. Because most people are visual, it is imperative to look at platforms with videos, podcasts, and so on.

Easy Navigation – Users need easy-to-navigate online training courses. You do not want them spending a significant amount of time trying to figure a system out, instead of diving right in to gaining a new skill or enhancing one they already possess.

Levels of Learning – The best online training should cover different skill levels. For example, someone trying to become a better communicator could select from beginner to advanced courses based on their current ability and goals.

Advanced Technology – Along with advanced technology, an LMS worth using should feature easy-to-use modules. An excellent e-learning platform has reliable and fully supported technologies. That way, if a user runs into an issue, he or she has someone to turn to for help immediately.

Learning Environment – Your company’s work environment may not be conducive to learning, even for a staff eager to learn. Although there are many excellent courses, “Facilitate and Promote Learning” is one of the best. This course introduces a conceptual framework for creating an environment that makes it easy for your employees to tackle problems, identify trusted sources, and integrate the information provided into their job responsibilities.

Leadership – Training courses on leadership are also among the best. Whether you have leaders who need to become more effective in their roles or individuals within your organization interested in joining your leadership team, it is essential to find the appropriate level of learning to help either succeed. For example, if an employee wants to gain insight into what it takes to be a leader, you might consider an online course like “Introduction to Leadership.”

Success in Project Management – With an increasing demand for skilled project managers, this is another hot topic. For any of your employees who currently work in this role and want to improve on knowledge and skills, a training course like “Project Management: Learn to be Successful with Less Effort” is ideal. A course such as this along with similar online training helps project managers become better problem solvers.

Communication – For your organization to run like a “well-oiled machine,” employees on all levels must possess excellent communication skills. With the right courses, they will learn more effective ways of listening and speaking.

Software Use and Computer Programming – Instead of your employees trying to decipher information provided in handbooks, they can complete different courses for both software use and computer programming. As with other topics, these cover all levels from beginner to advanced.

Focus – Inadequate focus has become a major issue for a lot of businesses. Between responsibilities at home and work, many employees struggle to complete projects on time, within scope, and according to the budget. Thanks to online training courses that address this problem, things turn around quickly.

Organization – Organization is another problem for many industries. With e-learning, everyone in your company can become more organized, which promotes productive and improves performance.

Time Management – Especially for busy and growing companies, good time management skills are hard to come by. You can find online training courses developed by multiple experts who specialize in learning or honing time management skills.

Sustainability – Today, a growing number of businesses aim to adopt more sustainable solutions. With courses on sustainability, this is no problem.

Web Design – A good web design attracts both prospects and existing customers. It also makes navigating the site a breeze. For all levels of design, a top LMS platform offers an abundance of courses on this topic.

Another reason for choosing the best online courses is that most are no more than one hour long. That means your employees can use e-learning while on the job without impacting productivity. If you worry about that, you can always offer an incentive for your staff to work on courses at home.

Even the price of the best online training is minimal. As a cost-effective method of learning, you can offer your entire company endless possibilities without adversely affecting the bottom line. When you consider all the benefits that online courses provide, you can see this is the best way to promote growth within your organization.

Remember, the popular training courses that fall under the top seven categories are the most effective. At Go1, we have thousands of options for learning, all dedicated to creating a positive work environment and supporting business growth.

What are the best online courses and what makes them great?

Regardless of the size or industry of your company, proper training is imperative for everyone. When it comes to training, this includes the CEO who can learn how to increase profit, the CFO who can decrease overhead, the HR Director for reducing employee turnover, the Compliance Manager to ensure the company follows all current laws and regulations, and the L&D Manager responsible for in-house training. However, training also applies to teams within each department.

Your leadership team should brainstorm to identify the training needs on a department-by-department basis, as well as the company as a whole. Once you approve the training objectives, your L&D Manager should create a program that ensures every person within the organization receives the training needed. By developing and honing knowledge and skills, your employees can perform at peak levels.

Along with the ongoing training offered by your company, it is essential to consider outside resources as well. Especially for a warehousing, manufacturing, processing, or distributing business, or one similar that exposes workers to a high level of risk for injury and even death, training is vital. OSHA offers an incredible outreach training program your L&D and Compliance Manager should understand and utilize.

OSHA, the acronym for Occupational Safety and Health Administration is a government entity that establishes and enforces protective standards for workplace safety and health. This organization also created the OSH Act of 1970. Through that, OSHA has the authorization to enforce the standards developed under the Act, which “assure safe and healthful working conditions for both men and women” on the job.

However, OSHA offers even more in the form of employee and worker assistance and training. Rather than just set and enforce strict regulations that help prevent injuries, illness, and death, this organization serves all types of industries through an incredible training program. OSHA wants workers to succeed, which entails having a safe and healthy place to work.

What Does the OSHA Outreach Training Program Consist Of?

OSHA, which falls under the guise of the United States Department of Labor, voluntarily developed an outreach program that promotes both safety and health within the workplace. The primary goal of this is to increase the knowledge of workers specific to hazards, as well as their legal rights.

Something important to note is this Outreach Training Program does not include the training requirements found in the OSHA standards. That means your Compliance and L&D Managers would need to provide employees with additional training for hazards, and the specific jobs they perform. The topics covered in the Outreach Training Program are also different from those your leadership team would choose from a learning platform to develop worker knowledge and skill further.

Started in 1971, this program has now served almost 4 million workers. Just as those individuals, future participants of the OSHA Outreach Training Program will learn how to identify hazards at work and the appropriate way to avoid them. The program also covers abatement and prevention, along with employees’ rights, employer responsibilities, and even the correct way to file a complaint with OSHA.

Although the OSHA Outreach Training Program targets entry-level workers, it can benefit anyone. Employees can complete either a 10 or 30-hour program depending on the level of training required. Regardless, both options offer incredible benefits that include:

Safety culture promotion via peer training

Emphasis on the value of workplace safety and health through hazard recognition and avoidance

Customizable topics based on each employee’s needs

As with ongoing training your leadership team can offer to employees online, individuals can complete the OSHA Outreach Training Program through the internet. That prevents any disruption in production yet provides workers with what they need to stay safe and healthy on the job.

When opting for this program, it is essential your L&D Manager select the right trainer. Not only is it vital to choose someone qualified on a specific topic, but because trainers work as independent service providers, the associated cost for training varies. According to OSHA, any company interested in its Outreach Training Program should talk to several trainers, finding the one that matches the company’s criteria.

Keep in mind that every trainer is OSHA-authorized. That means you can select a trainer regardless of your industry, whether industrial, construction, automotive, maritime, and so on. For the trainers to offer their services, they must complete an updated course every four years and have met several prerequisites of OSHA standards.

Once your employees complete the OSHA Outreach Program, they will have new knowledge and skills in dealing with hazards at work. Your workers will be more in tune with their surroundings, making it easier for them to identify a possible threat. They will also know who to turn to if they spot something suspicious, as well as the steps to take to ensure their safety and health, along with other workers nearby.

There is no question this OSHA training is an excellent opportunity. Combining it with what we offer at Go1 and you will feel more confident in your leaders and their teams’ abilities to spot and report hazardous situations. From that, you will see fewer accidents, avoid costly fines for being non-compliant with current laws and regulations, have less employee turnover, and possibly reduce your liability insurance premium.

The courses we offer online at Go1 also meet high standards. All of our training is the result of hard work by an industry leader. We have an abundance of beneficial topics, all competitively priced and a short duration. Give your entire staff what they need to perform but also stay safe and healthy in their respective roles.

What you need to know about the OSHA Outreach Training Program

Excel, one of several programs in the Microsoft Suite does more than most people realize. Typically, this is something used for crunching numbers, but beyond that, Excel is an excellent solution for developing graphs. If your boss asked you to come up with a spectacular graph, it is worth the time to learn how to make one using the Excel program.

Line Graphs – For this, you can select between 2- and 3-dimensional line graphs. If your boss wants to show trends spread over time, this is perfect. What makes this option unique is you can plot more than one parameter of data, including the number of products sold, types of products, average cost, and annual sales against different time periods or the same X-axis.

Column Graphs – This graph also works to show how parameters change over time. The difference between a column and line graph is this one uses just one data parameter. For example, you could show your boss the average cost of products sold within a given week.

Bar Graphs – While somewhat similar to column graphs, the difference is you work with a constant parameter, such as the amount of time an employee worked, which you would assign to the Y axis (vertical), and then add variables against data using the X-axis (horizontal).

Fill in the correct axis based on the information you want to plot

With the data values added, go to the “Home” tab under the number section to assign the correct data type to each of the columns. For instance, if you plan to use column B to measure time, assign the “Time” option to the entire column. You can do that by moving your cursor over the letter for a particular column. You will notice a small downward-pointing arrow. Click on that cell to highlight it. Then, assign the data type.

Once you select a column, go to the “Insert” tab and choose the “2D Line Graph.” Immediately, a graph appears below the data values.

Design – Why provide your boss with an ordinary graph when you can enhance the design? For instance, under the “Home” tab, you can change the coloring of one or all columns or rows. Again, you would highlight the cell or an entire column or row and then click on the look you want.

Layout – Excel even allows you to change the graph layout you just created. By clicking on the “Page Layout” tab, you can add pictures, shapes, and text boxes. The layout option also allows you to change the title of your chart or an axis title, plus more.

Format – For adding a black or colored border to a cell, column, or row, click on the “Format” tab. You can also choose a fill color, add an outline, and apply a special effect to shapes within your graph.

Keep it Clean – There is a difference between creating a fancy and cluttered graph. While you want something eye-catching, it is essential to use only the information that gets the point across to the intended audience.

The Right Theme – With excel, you can select from a variety of themes. Make sure you stick with one that coordinates with the type of graph and the data included. For this, you may need to experiment a little.

Correct Text – Because an Excel graph is primarily a visual tool, use concise yet descriptive language.

Element Placing – When you use graphical elements, titles, symbols, legends, and so on, make sure they enhance the graph as opposed to becoming an unwanted distraction.

Data Sorting – Before generating the final graph, be sure that you sort the data. That way, you can remove any duplications.

How to create a graph in Excel that impresses your boss

A Learning Management System, or LMS, is an excellent way to deliver automated training. In today’s working world, an LMS is a vital part of any company’s learning and development strategy. Not only does this benefit your leadership team, but also every employee within your organization.

If you plan to launch a new LMS, you need to develop a communication plan to ensure that everyone involved is on the same page. For this system to work, there has to be a cohesive effort. Otherwise, you could end up with an LMS that either falls short of expectations or fails entirely. Remember, a successful implementation will drive your business results.

As part of your communication plan, make sure you have each of the following objectives on the list.

Vision – You, as the business owner, along with each member of your leadership team, must discuss and define the vision of the learning experience you want your LMS to provide. Because every department has a unique role, this can be challenging. The goal is to communicate what each area of the company needs and then determine how to shape the architecture of the LMS so that it accommodates.

Team assembly – Especially when it comes to launching a new LMS, you and the leaders of your company need to discuss the various roles involved and who has the required skillset for each. Also, when talking about the best employees to work on the LMS team, you want people who can effectively work together. As for the project team, it should consist of members of each department, including HR, sales and marketing, customer support, and IT.

Define roles – After selecting the right team to work on the LMS launch, you and your leaders must carefully define the roles of each person and his or her accountabilities. During the planning phase of the project, communication as to special assignments, what each person will contribute, and to whom that individual is accountable, is crucial.

Team activation – The next communication aspect is informing the team members of their newly assigned roles and discussing their functional requirements. Also, make sure the newly formed LMS team has the name of a go-to person if issues arise to keep the launch date on track.

User experience – The LMS team needs to continue communication so they can accurately analyze the needs of the audience. For example, some people using your LMS may want to explore learning options while others want to sign up for training courses right away. With good communication, your new LMS will accommodate everyone who uses it while ensuring a positive experience.

Business processes – For success with your LMS launch, you need to communicate with the assigned team the primary business processes the system should support.

Learning the LMS – Unless each member of the core team has a full understanding of how the LMS functions, the project will struggle to succeed. Because this group of people will make decisions that affect the business, they must have open communication about the right software and its capabilities, formal training, hands-on practice, and more.

Solutions – Initially, you will have a limited number of available courses. However, you need to communicate to the project team the importance of conducting a formal assessment so you can populate the LMS with content people want and need. That way, you end up with an LMS with thousands of courses that support business, as well as employee growth and development.

Mitigation plan – Even when doing all the right things, there is a risk of your new LMS having low usage. To prevent this from happening, make sure you include user experience, management planning, communication, user support, and content marketing in your overall strategy.

Your launched LMS will impact virtually all departments and employees within your organization. However, with only a handful of individuals on the project team, good communication for every aspect of the launch is critical.

The goal of launching a new LMS is to serve your users. However, even the dedication, knowledge, and skills of the project team are not enough to automatically equate to success. For your LMS to succeed, communication is crucial before, during, and after the launch. Along with making changes to the system, the LMS team must support the users. That means it must have ongoing discussions as to how best to resolve issues when they arise.

If you plan to launch a new LMS, you need to develop a communication plan to ensure that everyone involved is on the same page.  Here's how.