Insights On Technology

InsightsOn Sponsors’ Content

TECHNOLOGY Every company leverages technology to enhance offerings to customers and improve internal systems. The challenge is keeping up with all the options. In this section, three Insights contributors share perspectives on how to leverage technology from three different industries.

AMY CONWAY, SHRM-SCP

HR Consultant, Leath HR Group

KEITH HOLDEN

CEO, FOCUS Broadband

DREW SMITH Director of Communications, Copiers Plus

CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF HR WITH TECHNOLOGY

AMY CONWAY, SHRM-SCP HR Consultant, Leath HR Group

Since 2017, Leath HR Group has been on a mission to change the way companies and employees utilize Human Resources. Lisa Leath started out providing businesses the kind of global HR solutions she knew they needed while maintaining a local, human connection. What began as a solo journey of entrepreneurship after an impressive tenure in Corporate America, has now become a team of HR experts that bring decades of experience in all facets of human resources across a variety of industries. And most importantly, a continued mission to change the perception of HR by providing experts who are relatable, supportive, and true partners in business. One way we’re doing that is through the integration of technology into the way we work with our clients.

The face of HR has been on a transformational path for the past several decades and we do not see that changing anytime soon. It was not that long ago that we knew HR professionals as the Personnel department, specializing in executing payroll and other administrative tasks. When you were called to HR as an employee, it meant layoffs, terminations, and other disciplinary measures. We are on a mission to rewrite that reputation and are using technology to do that with the creation of Leath HR technology,

“WorkTok,” and an upcoming YouTube channel where we’ll break down real workplace situations that you just can’t make up.

As modern HR leaders, we are no different than any other business leaders, except we specialize in people versus product. We show the same characteristics, such as empathy, courage, and vision, as any other executive in an organization. And companies that have learned to bring HR into the conversation around people and business, are far more successful in executing strategy and changes that create positive impact for the entire organization. That’s why WorkTok has been so game changing - allowing supervisors to do micro check-ins with their employees on the fly.

As business continues to adapt to meet the ever-changing demands of the consumer, HR continues to adapt to meet those same needs for the employee.

The Great Resignation, a phrase all too familiar to businesses, will only continue if we do not have great HR leaders leaning in to provide influence around what is important to employees.

With updates to technology and now supporting teams that work virtually and across the globe, it is more critical than ever to provide employees a great place to work. As 2021 closes, we’re witnessing quit rates at an all-time high, at over 4 million resignations in one month, September. We have seen firsthand when organizations do not prioritize the employee experience and recent headlines have exposed why employees continue to look for new opportunities.

We want to make sure our clients do not make those same mistakes.

Depending on the business or industry, our clients do not all have equal resources,

and we continue to find ways to fill in those gaps by remaining close to the pulse of HR trends and making them applicable to all sized businesses. We’re looking forward to advancing the way we support businesses by creating a new, entertaining YouTube channel, all about solving real employee situations with HR experts. Look for episode 1 to drop in January 2022!

The past 18-24 months has taught us many things and we are able to take advantage of those lessons. Employees are telling us they want more flexibility and support, companies are telling us they need HR to be embedded into all facets of the business, and technology is allowing us to do both. We intend to use technology to reach a wider audience by offering additional virtual solutions in the upcoming year as we continue our mission to change the perception of HR. As we look at what's next for Leath HR Group, we continue to think of innovative ways to provide cutting edge HR solutions that companies need in order to continue their success. We recognize that companies just starting out with limited resources also need our expertise and support. Whether you manage 1 employee or 1000, that employee deserves your very best. We are excited about our upcoming projects in 2022 that will serve that purpose. We are using our knowledge in a way that will provide valuable resources and that's fun for us. As Lisa always says, “we like what we do and we hope it’s contagious”!

AT SIXTY-FIVE YEARS OLD, ATMC IS NEWER THAN EVER Changes Name To Become FOCUS Broadband

I

n 1955, the Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation (ATMC) was founded by farmers, fishermen, and small business owners going door to door in Brunswick County to collect enough signatures to start a cooperative to bring telephone service to rural areas of the county that had been left without. They served their first customer in 1957 and through the years, as Brunswick County has grown, so has ATMC. In the 1980s the company brought cable television to much of the county, and in the late 1990s they added cellular telephone and internet services. In 2011 ATMC used a grant awarded by the US Department of Agriculture to expand its high-speed internet service into unserved portions of southeastern Columbus County.

Today, internet connectivity is more necessity than luxury, and because of this, ATMC is thriving. The company is growing by staying true to their roots and bringing service to those who are unserved. But instead focusing on telephone service, they have become a leader in the deployment of fiber optic delivered high-speed internet service. High-speed internet service is so critical to what they do, that they recently announced that they are changing their name to FOCUS Broadband. The new name reflects their shift to making high-speed internet their number one priority.

“We see FOCUS Broadband as an accurate reflection of what our company is becoming as we expand using fiber optic broadband as our core service offering,” said Keith Holden, FOCUS Broadband CEO. Over the past 30 months the cooperative has secured over $45

million in grant funds from state and federal broadband grant programs to expand high-speed internet service in southeastern North Carolina. FOCUS Broadband is investing an additional $23 million in matching funds and currently has network construction projects underway in Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, Pender, and Robeson counties. These projects are seeking to bridge the connectivity divide that has separated many rural communities and provide them with access to educational, social, and economic opportunities that will be transformative.

In addition to its expansion projects, the cooperative recently announced plans to convert all their Brunswick customers to fiber optics by the end of the decade. This $100 million dollar project will build a world-class fiber optic broadband network capable of supporting the very fastest internet speeds for decades into the future. Holden explained, “Because fiber optic technology has almost limitless capacity, it can deliver the very fastest internet speeds. Converting our entire network to fiber optics will provide our members with unmatched capabilities well into the future.”

While FOCUS Broadband will continue to work to expand its hightech services to additional areas in eastern North Carolina, they haven’t forgotten that it is their personal connection to their members that has sustained them. Holden added, “Our technology is what brings customers to us, but our commitment to providing an unparalleled level of customer service is what keeps them with us.”

KEITH HOLDEN CEO, FOCUS Broadband

ABOUT FOCUS BROADBAND - North Carolina’s largest communications cooperative - Founded in 1955 - Serving Brunswick, Columbus, Robeson, Pender, and Duplin counties - Over 300 employees - Secured over $45 million in broadband grant funds over past 30 months - Gig Certified Provider

(888) 367-2862

5 THINGS TO REMEMBER REGARDING YOUR COPIER CONTRACT

C

opier contracts can span several years, making it easy to focus on other initiatives and forget pertinent details of your agreement. Below are areas regarding your contract to make note of to safeguard your business from unexpected obligations and adjust to necessary changes.

1. CONTRACT END DATES With contracts come end of term requirements. If you forget about your lease end date and then decide you want to make a change a month out, you may have to absorb additional payments due to not adhering to the leasing company’s notice period. The notice periods vary, but many have a range of dates requiring no later than 60 days and no earlier than 120 days before the expiration date.

2. ALLOWANCES Maintenance agreements are often based on allowances for both color and black and white prints. By dictating how many prints of each variety you are allowed for a specified period, you can have a monthly price to adhere to, although that monthly rate can increase if you are going above your allowance. If your print volume experiences any drastic changes up or down, it is always a good idea to strategize with your representative on how you can best adjust contractually.

3. SECURITY FEATURES Within every new copier on the market there are standard ways to protect your print jobs and access to the device. With the rise of cyberattacks and compromises taking place across the country, it is important you understand the options available to you to safeguard your most sensitive documents and data. A

conversation with your representative can bring to light easy steps you can take to make your fleet more secure under your current contract or with an adjustment in scope.

4. BUSINESS INSURANCE COVERAGE Your copier contract is usually available to be covered by your business insurance, though if you don’t add it to your coverage, you may be billed by the leasing company for insurance at a premium. Address with your representative during negotiations how to add your devices to your insurance policy and monitor your bill to make sure no unnecessary insurance charges get mistakenly passed along to you.

5. PRINT BEHAVIORS For companies with many employees and multiple devices, it can be difficult to know how much everyone prints.

Whether it be monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually, if you are aware of the habits of your workplace you will be better equipped to know how to address your actual needs. At Copiers Plus, we offer a complimentary print analysis. We provide this resource to you in an excel spreadsheet along with a cost breakdown of what each print in your office costs so that the leg work is done for you.

If you would like to learn more about how you can better understand your copier contract or what one could look like for your organization, we would love to help! Just reach out to us at 800648-7081 or via copiers-plus.com to schedule a consultation with one of our representatives.

DREW SMITH Director of Communications Copiers Plus

Drew Smith serves as the Director of Communications for Copiers Plus.

Copiers Plus has provided North Carolina organizations with leading office technology solutions and service since 1985, when Bob Smith started the company. Since, Copiers Plus has grown to a third-generation family business with five locations across the state. The organization operates as a Premier Dealer for Kyocera Document Solutions and has been acknowledged as an Elite Dealer by ENX Magazine for the past three years.

copiers-plus.com (800) 648-7081