ACE and ACI Adobe Certifications

A few weeks ago, ORC updated its Adobe credentials for increased web design functions. ORC now adds ACE certification (Adobe Certified Expert) for Dreamweaver, and ACI certification (Adobe Certified Instructor) to its roster of certs. For those who may be considering it, the exam is a timed 80-minute exam with just over 70 questions covering 4 main topic areas:

1. Understanding Web technologies
2. Planning sites
3. Designing pages
4. Managing and maintaining sites

In Kansas City, you can schedule to take the exam at Centriq Training.

Dreamweaver has for many years been a leading (if not the leading) GUI web editor. Although like with any web editor it is fully possible to create "bad" or "poorly organized" code, or to achieve affects the user doesn't fully understand, Dreamweaver forfeits some control over code creation and maintenance for faster results with less upfront knowledge required. Additionally, many of the tools provided (such as templates, the sweet new Spry tools, and site-wide find/replace and link updating) can be huge time-savers and consistency helpers even for veteran coders. I personally consider it one of the best options for someone starting out their web career, and in some cases, a good option for someone trying to ease their management of ongoing sites.

So best wishes in continued growth and usage of the Web.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

LinkedIn, Web 2.0 and Social Networking

So there’s been a lot of talk (and drama) around Web 2.0 – this whole idea that the web has evolved in the past few years to be more interactive, more social, more elastic than just static pages and even just forms that fulfill orders. It’s sort of intoxicating to read about all these open source developers creating helpful applications for “all of us”, and these bloggers and the blogosphere and the impact “the little guy” is having on the world. But really, I think many people are just “using the Internet” and not thinking a lot about it all.

Oh, I’ve dipped my toe in. I’ve been blogging for a few years now, professionally and personally. I’ve developed some accounts on some social networking sites and kicked the tires. I’ve seen some use for it, had a great time getting into contact with long-lost-acquaintances and friends. But lately, I’ve started to see what some of the hype is about. You really can meet more people, talk to more people, express  or share more opinions, and collaborate more when there are tools out there that are accessible, widely used, and targeted. It’s not that the Web is new again. It’s that it’s being used more interactively by more people, which in and of itself creates a dynamic.

For example, I have been seeing more use for Facebook and LinkedIn. Both have started growing exponentially in my field of connections. I am seeing old high school and college connections materialize and find each other on Facebook like never before. I am seeing LinkedIn professional contacts expand into a web of who-knows-and-recommends-whom. It’s exciting. But more than that. It’s useful.

Why is it useful? Because it makes it easier to keep track of people, as long as they continue to opt in. I have long used my own personal website as a means to promote staying in touch, and being part of different social groups. But people have to come to my website, and remember that they’re part of that group. They have to ask me to update their information and I have to take the time to do it. (That could be fixed with a little more interactivity built-in, but that’s a different issue.) However, with a widely recognized social networking site, people can update their information, find their own connections, and bring them into the fold quickly. You can’t argue with greater ease, speed and control – especially when popularity means you are actually more likely to find people.

Plus, some networks provide something beyond staying in touch. MySpace can be good for finding new music, based on how you can embed songs from a favorite band that’s already using MySpace. Twitter can keep you posted on what friends are doing right then and there. And my favorite, LinkedIn, has started to reach a critical mass where you are able to make new connections, promote your business, help bridge the connection-gap for professional contacts, and do research for job-hunting or hiring.

With LinkedIn, here are a few blog posts that might challenge your perception of the usefulness of a social networking site:

• ·         10 ways to use LinkedIn: http://blog.linkedin.com/blog/2007/07/ten-ways-to-use.html
  
• ·         Getting Set up: http://www.aspirekc.com/Blog/2008/04/16/how-to-get-up-to-speed-on-linked-in/#more-101
  
• ·         Some tips and trick: http://time-blog.com/work_in_progress/2007/06/linkedin_tricks_for_networkers.html
  

Here’s to extending our reach into the world, over the wire.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

And Behind Curtain Number 4: Google's Chrome Browser

So, the lion's share of Internet browsing (excluding mobile devices like phones, etc) has been done on various versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari in the past couple of years. Well, recently, Google has given some hype to its own new browser.

Reading about it, I've found it interesting to see also how the browser will incorporate cookies and ad integration to protect its very business model. It is, after all, a strange situation to know that over 70% of the access to your core web services is taking place on a rival's browser (Microsoft's Internet Explorer).

I am intrigued. And as a web developer, I know that this means yet one more browser we're going to need to test to see how it renders our pages and handles our web applications. I'm looking forward to seeing if the new features that Google brings to the browser world make it worth all that.

So here's the link they just posted if you'd like to download the beta and check it out, too.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

9/3/08 Addendum: Here's another recent review on CNN that gets into the debate regarding "what slows down and/or crashes your browser when you have multiple tabs open".

Getting the Right People, Right Now

Good news. Starting next week, I'll be assisting Centriq Training with their Connections program. For over 15 years, they've been providing technical training in the Kansas City area. Their clients include companies all over the city and beyond, and also individuals taking carefully structured tracks geared toward practical skills and certification. The primary focuses are in C# .Net Programming and Network Administration.

Centriq Fast Track Employer Program
As one might expect from a center that produces graduates from various technical programs, Centriq is a great place to post your company's job openings at no cost. However, from an employer's standpoint, sometimes it's very valuable to be able to reduce the amount of time it takes away from your other tasks to search for that ideal candidate. It can also be a terrific advantage to be able to talk to someone you trust (who maybe already provides you with top-notch technical training). Someone who can recommend several top-tier candidates for you within a matter of hours, not weeks. And Centriq is in a great position to do that.

No other IT recruitment service can give you a referral based on 4 to 8 months of actual contact history, wherein the selected candidate was judged on attendance, participation, work ethic and project performance. All they can do is pre-interview the candidates for you. And what's more, participating in Centriq's Fast Track Employer program provides you cherry-picked resumes that won't cost your organization anything unless you hire one of their candidates. So you can combine it with other search methods if you wish.

Built-In Training and Ongoing Replacement Insurance
In addition, your new hire comes with a built-in training program in case they need to beef up on some new technology. So if you decide they could learn something extra to support your organization, you can send them back for free training within one year.

And the cherry on top is that if your new employee is promoted or moves on within that year, your next hire from Centriq will be provided for free, with the same training benefits.

Contact me today if you'd like to know more about Centriq's Fast Track Employer program. Sometimes the value of finding the right candidate, immediately, is worth looking into.

Best wishes and keep on trucking.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

Forks in the Road

Well, sometimes when wheeling your way along, you take a fork in the road.

This month, that fork has me out assessing new opportunities and accomplishments-in-the-making. I continue to classify new music, and have taken on some new web projects for a former client. I ran an online training session last month, which allowed me to provide insights to a client in western Kansas, while I was tied down 5 hours away.

Additionally, I have been discussing a few different options with a few training companies in the area. Sometimes the fork in the road is the best part of the trip.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

Music and Data

Just a brief heads up... Things in the music industry continue going like gangbusters - change, opportunity and growth make for interesting and exciting times. For some examples of interesting genres I've come across (but we currently don't use in our system), check out "shoegazing" (not a fan) and "alt. country" (dig it).

Also this month I assisted a client with a data and software migration. Always good to keep the portfolio diverse.

Hope all is going well for you and yours.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

April updates

Last month I celebrated a birthday and we completed a phase of an Advance Tester Program. Interesting stuff. Every software application and set of instructions should go through a solid and distributed testing feedback system -- the data you get can be politically vital and certainly can only help your product.

Also, it looks like I'll be getting involved with more content management as time goes on, so still plenty to keep me busy.

Looking forward to Memorial Day and a game coming up at the end of the month. Keep on trucking, all.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

Job posting filled

Just a heads up that we filled the Operations Assistant position. Stay tuned for new developments.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

Operations Assistant position

Well, the road rolls on and we're looking to pick up new passengers. I am currently looking to hire an Operations Assistant for PushButtonMusic. If you are interested in this position or would just like to get a resume on file with me, please do so ASAP.

The road waits for no one!

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

Happy New Year from ORC

Happy New Year! May you have a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous 2008.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

Music Beta Testing, Holiday Break and Other Updates

Well, another year is coming to a close, and it never slowed down once. It's been full throttle on the Open Road, and things keep moving forward. As ORC closes for the holiday break (Dec. 22 - Dec 26), we wish you and yours a merry wintry holiday season.

As for a quick rundown of recent of events, we look forward to being able to announce the launch of a new music services project in early 2008. Beta testing has already begun. If you'd like to be on the list of consideration to be able to test this exciting product before it's available to the general public, please just shoot me an email or give me a call.

Additionally, classes for AT&T students pursuing IC3 certification continues on strong, as well as a few web development projects. So stay tuned for new updates in 2008, and have a great rest of the year.


On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

Computer Training Case Profile

Some weeks ago, Open Road Communications completed Windows and Microsoft Office training onsite for a client. The client had come to me knowing they had special needs, somewhat limited resources onsite and a modest budget. Still, we were able to meet their needs and their budget with training customized to the situation. Additionally, the design matched my ongoing recommendation that training ideally doesn't last more than 5 to 6 hours in one setting.

The client knew they were a small office that needed to have half of their employees in the trenches at any one time to run mission critical business operations. Additionally, they did not want to tie up the other half for an entire day, nor send them offsite to a training center. This is a need that I have seen for many small and medium -sized organizations, and which larger training centers often are unable to accommodate.

In this case, we were able to improvise a fully functional computer lab, customize training topics to the needs of the staff, and run half days of instruction for each group of students. This freed up the other employees to run the business. Additionally, we made some time for self-paced practice to help cement the application of new skills.

And in addition to the post-class resources and exercises made available to students, we custom-designed brief reference materials specific to class content, gratis.

Overall, we were very pleased with the final product for our client and appreciated all their feedback as well.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

ROI on Computer Training

ROI (Return On Investment) for training can be difficult to quantify. It can also be an important measurement that helps an organization determine whether there is sufficient value in paying for training.

How Does Training Help?
People tend to believe that training is a good thing. They sometimes, however, lack confidence in whether it is worth paying for, or whether the time it takes away from the normal workday is justified.

At Open Road Communications, we believe that the computer training we provide can pay for itself in many ways. On a personal level, I have always found that taking a short break from work for professional training helps re-invigorate me for my tasks. It does so because it helps me remember why I do what I do, pushes me to think creatively about better ways to do it, and removes me from the workday grind. Additionally, it has always improved my morale that my company invested the dollars necessary to aid my career development with them. So this type of feeling alone can be something worth paying for, just as the occasional office celebration may build morale and keep the work worth doing.

But on a little more concrete level, computer training can pay itself off by increasing the speed, confidence and efficiency with which employees complete tasks. Also it can help them rise to tasks which they were previously incapable of. Plus, adding this kind of cross-training within the ranks of a company's employees can help when absences or turnover inevitably take place. Finally, it can decrease the workload for the ad hoc software expert who has to help other people in the office do work that may not be their own.

Looking At the Numbers Behind ROI
All of these reasons explain how training can improve the efficiency and morale of workers at an organization. But at ORC we have a number behind the "idea" of ROI. Our students report an average increase of 70% in their capabilities for individual skills presented in computer training. A 70% increase in your capabilities can quickly improve the amount or quality of work you accomplish.

So as an example, if one student normally spends just 20% of her workday (1.6 hours) using these computer skills to accomplish 20 tasks, she could spend the same time accomplishing 34 of those tasks after training. Or to accomplish the same number of tasks, she could cut her work time down from over an hour and a half each day to less an hour per day. Take that times 5 days for a standard workweek and she has just saved herself 3.3 hours each week.

ROI Math
Standard Workday = 8 hours
20% of a standard workday = 1.6 hours

Assumption 1: Before training, worker accomplishes 20 tasks involving these skills during these 1.6 hours.

Assumption 2: After training, worker reports an increased confidence of 70% in her capabilities with these select skills.
[This would be the average improvement after 5 hours of training with ORC.]

Assumption 3: A reported 70% increase in skill capabilities means 70% greater efficiency of speed.

Thus: 1.7 efficiency * 20/tasks per day = 34 tasks per day (where she spends the same time per day on these tasks as before training)
OR
1.6 hours / 1.7 efficiency = .94 hours total time spent on the same number of tasks per day.

Thus:
ADDITIONAL TASKS ACCOMPLISHED PER WEEK
14 more tasks accomplished daily * 5 days in one workweek = 70 more tasks accomplished in the first week after training. Depending on the value of these tasks to the organization, they are likely to "pay for" the cost of training over some weeks.

OR

TIME SAVED PER WEEK
1.6 hours (pre-training time spent) - .94 hours (post-training time spent) = .66 hours saved per day * 5 days in one workweek = 3.3 hours saved in the first week after training.

Just looking at the time saved for one person who went through training and spent a fifth of their day using these skills, you can see that she has "earned back" an additional 3.3 hours in one week. After two weeks, she's more than "made up for" the time lost spent in training. Plus, she's likely to be rejuvenated with the investment spent on her career development and may feel more confident in learning new time-saving techniques inspired by her training.

Conclusion
If you accept a few of these premises or even plug in your own values, you'll see that training can be a worthy investment in your organization. It pays itself off for time spent and productivity yielded after a short duration -- and then continues to yield returns thereafter.

For a free consultation on computer training ROI, please feel free to contact me.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

IC3 certification

Last month, shortly after returning stateside, we added another certification to the ranks -- IC3. If you'd care to read more about this certification, here are a few links:

• What is IC3?
  
• Certiport overview and resources on IC3
  
• Wikipedia overview
  

Briefly, it attests to the general computer and Internet literacy of the certified individual, and it's an excellent starting point for demonstrating basic office computer skills. ORC delivers training preparing students for this and other certifications.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid