iCompass Technologies Blog

User Conference 2010 in Beautiful Whistler BC, Canada

Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, Whistler, BC

Secure the budget and block the dates in your 2010 calendar!  The 2010 iCompass User Conference will be held in Whistler, British Columbia at the luxurious Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa (http://www.icompasstech.com/siteengine/www.hiltonwhistler.com).  This will be the only iCompass User Conference in North America in 2010.  Room rates for our conference are as follows: $129/night for a classic King or Queen.  For online room bookings, call 1-800-515-4050 and mention iCompass Technologies with the booking code ICT.

As the provider of and , leading Meeting Management Solutions for busy government and academic professionals, iCompass strives to provide our customers with the latest best practices to maximize your use of our services.

This is why we are creating an intensive, two-day program including talks, demonstrations, round-table discussions, and tutorials to better help you maximize your use of the Meeting Management Solution. This will be a unique opportunity to meet the iCompass team, network with your peers, acquire new skills, and plug-in to the fast-growing and user communities.  A detailed User Conference Program will be made available within weeks.

Whistler BC, Home of 2010 Olympic Games

Our 2010 commitment to you- We call it iCompass Grand Slam Service

We will increase our customer service staffing by at least 40% over 2009 levels

We will meet face to face with no less than 100 of our customers across North America within the first 90 days of 2010

We will respond to incoming requests/inquiries within 10 mins of our Customer Advocacy team receiving them and we will do so by picking up the phone and calling you

We will ensure that your call to iCompass is answered by a human being 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

We will extend our Customer Advocacy office hours from 5 AM to 6 PM (Pacific) so that you can get the support you need when you need it

We will provide you with access to an electronic issue capture and response system so that you can instantly submit requests/inquiries directly from our services and/or our website PLUS track the dynamic status of your requests/inquiries

We will provide you with - and post on our website - an iCompass Organization Chart along with clear escalation procedures so that you are better able to connect with the right iCompass representative you need when you need to

We will implement enhanced service monitoring tools so we know of issues (and can resolve them) before you are even aware of them

We will continue to improve the Customer Resource Centre by providing a site re-design plus direct access to it from our services

We will make significant changes to all of our implementation procedures that will dramatically improve effectiveness, timeliness and flexibility

We will provide monthly educational webinars focusing on the most common requests/comments from our customers

We will provide you with new self-help tools that will improve the quality of your training and empower you to better harness the power of our services

We will provide significant improvements to our core services, including a new FilePro platform as well as a new Minutes module

We will fully involve our customers in the sign-off of major releases through the establishment of a formal Release Satisfaction Framework that will ensure our customers serve as the barometer of quality

We will reach out to you no less than 6 times per year through a variety of mediums to ask your opinion, advise you of new best practices, and to offer new supports/services

We will e-mail you a quarterly educational customer newsletter loaded with best practices

We will establish an iCompass Blog to facilitate the sharing of best practices within the iCompass user community

We will invite you to participate in at least one on-line satisfaction survey per year

We will continue to make infrastructure improvements so as to always ensure superior performance of our services

We will establish a Customer Advisory Board which will report directly to the President & CEO and advise iCompass as to areas for further customer service /product improvement

iCompass and FileBank Announce a Marketing Affiliation

KAMLOOPS, BC - November 17, 2009 - iCompass Technologies, a leading meeting management software provider, is pleased to announce its newest marketing affiliation with FileBank Professional Services to refer their document storage solutions to hundreds of public sector organizations across North America.

Taking advantage of each company's expertise as leaders in their respective fields, this affiliation aims to make it easier for organizations to streamline their document storage. Our users now have a proven, reliable service to assist them in document storage and imaging needs. This relationship enhances iCompass' whole product offering by making it easier to prepare hard copy documents for upload into the CivicWeb Solution from iCompass making it easier for the public sector to find key documents using keyword searches.

The affiliation marks a very important business development initiative and reflects iCompass' commitment to continuous improvement of solutions for customers. "We recognize the increasing requirement for document management and see tremendous business opportunities for both iCompass and FileBank," says Jason Cacaci, Director of Business Development at iCompass.

About iCompass

iCompass provides CivicWeb, the leading web-based Meeting Management Solution for City Clerks and Board Secretaries who are swamped with never-ending process related to managing the preparation, approval and distribution of agendas and minutes AND tracking mission critical deliverables within the organization. CivicWeb automates the entire meeting process within one system. It also reduces paper consumption, contains ‘smart' templates, and enables the shifting of time savings to tackle other key priorities.

About FileBank

FileBank has been a leader in Records Management for over 20 years, managing over 10,000 000 bar coded containers, files, data tapes, digital images and x-rays for our clients across Canada.  We provide custom solutions for our customers back office requirements through Document Management, Offsite Backup, High Speed Digital Imaging, Secure Shredding and IT Consulting and Repairs.    While offering a customized solution is definitely one of the keys to our success, our clients will tell you it's our commitment to customer service that really sets us apart.   Customer Service is the inspiration behind everything at FileBank.

iCompass Participates in 'Movember'

Did you know 1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer? Typcially there are no symptoms until it is spread beyond the prostate.

These statistics alone prompted eleven iCompass, a meeting management solution company, staff to register and raise money in the fight against prostate cancer this November. iCompass was part of a global movement of 255,494 Mo Bros and Sistas who joined together for 30 days to bring much needed attention to prostate cancer.

The cause commonly known as 'Movember' is a huge success and all proceeds go directly to Prostate Cancer Canada. Amongst the iCompass group was Lorraine, a 'Movember' Sista, who was a constant supporter and active fundraiser, despite not growing a moustache. In total thirteen iCompass staff members showed their support by growing moustaches including the entire management team.

Branden Moskwa, Implementation and Training Team Lead, was the iCompass Mr. Movember topping the team by raising $420.00. Branden was married a little over a month ago and got involved with the cause when one RSVP came back with the news of a very dear friend that would be unable to attend the wedding due to his current struggle with prostate cancer. This got him thinking and before he knew it he could name 6 direct relatives off the top of his head that have suffered from prostate related illnesses.

With the help of Branden and many other iCompass staff the iCompass 'Movember' team was able to raise a total of $1,080.00 for Prostate Cancer.

To read more about the iCompass 'Movember' team visit: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/members/search/q/iCompass

5 Ways to Manage Your Time More Effectively

In today's tough times people are having difficulty finding enough hours in the day to get everything done. Try these simple tips to more effectively manage your time and stop stressing about your workload.

1. Set aside an hour of each day where you close the door and have heads down time (no not napping, heads down in your work). Put this into your schedule and tell everyone in your office that unless it is extremely important you will not be available during that time period.

2. Write a list of your top 3 priorities at work that day first thing in the morning. Always have this list in eye sight and ensure you allocate your time to the most important tasks you need to get done.

3. Avoid checking your email whenever a new email pops into your inbox. Turn off your notifications or close out of your email completely and only check it when you have ample time to respond to your emails without interruptions.

4. Make lists of everything you need to do. This will help you at the beginning of each day to prioritize your tasks for the day and you will never feel overwhelmed at the start of the day wondering what you are going to be doing.

5. Keep a detailed calendar/planner of your appointments, meetings, and other important priorities (heads down time). This will help you to stay on schedule and be most productive with your day.

With these simple and easy steps you are well on your way to managing your time more effectively and making the most out of the workday.

Photos:
laffy4k 
judepics
jurvetson
Martin Kingsley 

6 Ways to Reduce Paper Consumption in Your Office

Tired of the paper adding up? Do you feel like you are hidden under mountains of paper? We have some easy steps for you to follow to reduce your paper consumption and help the environment.

1. Always think before you print. Do you really need to print that? Only print materials that are necessary to have on paper.

2. Recycle paper. Provide enough recycling bins in various places throughout the office for paper, cardboard, bottles, cans, and newspapers. If you have the ability provide employees with individual recycling containers in their offices.

3. Use technology - Use email, intranets, internet and document scanners as much as possible.

4. Send staff updates and news via email. This way you can ensure everyone reads the message, you do not have to waste your time printing off X amount of notices for all your staff members, and you do not have to chase staff around to give them the notice.

5. Encourage staff to bring laptops to meetings with the meeting information pre-loaded onto their computers.

6. Print on both sides of the paper - always set your computer to duplex print rather than just print on one side. This can save you up to half the amount of paper you would typically use.

How to Manage Change in Your Organization

Too much change can throw anyone for a loop. It can also impact performance in a positive manner or a negative manner. Sometimes change is necessary for businesses to achieve the level of success they have always dreamed of. There are some simple steps you can follow to help manage change in your organization.

1. Ensure your work environment fosters trust. Be open about the changes that are taken place and the consequences both positive and negative that will take place. Open lines of communication are a must in order for everyone to have a stake in the change.
   
   
2. Link the change to your corporate culture and ensure that it is in line with your values and strategic direction. This will ensure buy-in from your employees as they will see the benefit to the company.
    
3.  Explain to your workforce why this change is necessary and why you must go ahead with the planned change. Ensure you have facts and reasoning behind your reasons and that they are clearly pointed out for your staff.
   
4. Encourage employees to give feedback and suggestions regarding the change and how you could make the change more effective.
   
5. The leader for the change must ensure that all employees receive the support they need. Some may require additional training, while you may want to reward other positive behavior. You also may be required to remove those who are a negative influence in your change efforts.
   
6. Be consistent with your change and continually monitor the change efforts and process to ensure you are on track.

 

Photos:
powerbooktrance
Mykl Roventine
terren in Virginia's