Blog

With not 1 but 2 of the most significant projects we're had the pleasure of producing on our schedule, apologies if we've skipped a Blog update or Two over these past few months.

As regular readers would be well aware we very rarely use this forum to spruik about our achievements, but in this case as they are so important to our stakeholders it justified an exception..

The first milestone was the March completion of the 12 months process of upgrading the iASP™ Powered Work Health and Safety Management Platform we've continuously developed on behalf of Employers Mutual Ltd. since 2010. 

The platform, which consists of several independently branded instances, including HEMsafe, is a Cloud-based system that provides all the tools and resources organisations across multiple industries need to manage their day to day WHS related obligations and maintain health and safety within their workplace.

While the upgrade included enhancements to the front-end public website, the primary focus was the Member-only features and functions.

The application framework was re-engineered to facilitate mobile device compatibility as well as improved desktop version usability.

Additionally, the entire platform was expanded from a single-user focus to an enterprise level application with the introduction of powerful access controls and extensive workflow and version controls.

Key new features include a new Workplace Homepage featuring several interactive dash-board like functions including a calendar based display of all relevant activities and reminders, which provides individual Users with instant access to all tasks that require action.

The second major project, which is scheduled for live launch next Monday, is a Strata Management platform which has been developed with the guidance of one of the largest Strata Management providers in Victoria.

StrataPort, which will launch with around 20,000 initial customers, is a Cloud-based platform that seamlessly integrates to existing internal Strata Management systems and then translates and publishes relevant information for individual Users in a secure, password protected environment that can be accessed from anywhere, anytime from any Internet connected device.

In addition to publication of all Building, Lot, Meeting, Insurance and other data, StrataPort capabilities include submission of "smart" requests such as Meeting Proxy Forms and Insurance Certificate of Currency Application Forms.

The system also features an integrated Support Ticket system that can be paired with external systems as required.

The launch of StrataPort and the generational upgrades to the WHS Management Systems reflect the evolution of the iASP™ technology platform into a truly Enterprise Level Application and marks the beginning of the most exciting stage of our journey to date.

We look forward to the future with great excitement.

Watch this space!


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From showcasing products, to providing visual support to the text on the page, images can maketh or breaketh a website*. As Andy Warhol famously said - "I never read, I just look at pictures", and we all know "a picture says a thousand words".

When it comes to selling products on-line, there are countless studies proving the benefit of images in relation to conversion rates and as a provider of platforms that have processed millions of on-line transactions dating back to the 1990's, we've learned that quality images are often the difference between making sales and not.

We actively encourage all clients using our iASP™ platform, which provides full control over all content published (text, images, movies, files etc.), to invest in production of quality, original images, which can then be adjusted to suit the layout of the area they are publishing.

Providing your photographer or designer with the final image specifications you require is always the perfect option, but if you have images that still need further manipulation we've put together our simple 5-step process to creating perfect content images.

Before you start you'll need image editing software. You can pay for professional level applications such as Adobe Photoshop (like we do), but there's cheaper and even free options available. Today we're going to use a free image editor that is available on-line called Pixlr Editor. It's similar to Adobe Photoshop, and it is very easy to use.

Step #1: Find the recommended image dimensions.
Your images will need to be made a specific width and height, depending on how/where you want to use them. For example, an image used in the banner of your website will need to be a lot wider than an image that is used on an inner page.

For iASP™ Clients:

• Navigate to the page you plan to use the image on, and edit the record.
• The image field should have a recommended width and height either under the image label, or in a tool-tip alongside the image picker tool. If not, please just copy the address of the page you want to add the image into and e-mail it to us asking for optimum image dimensions
• If you are creating a new image for the banner of your website, then you can find the recommended dimensions in the Banner module of the CMS Control Panel.

Step #2: Open the original image.
Next you want to load the image into your image editing application.

• Open Pixlr Editor in your web browser (or you can use your usual image editing software).
• Click File in the menu at the top of the application, and then select Open Image
• Find the image on your computer and select it, press Open.

Step #3: Crop the Image
Now you want to crop out the part of the image that you want to use:

• Select the Crop tool
• In the tool options that appear under the menu, select Aspect Ratio from the Constraint options.
• Enter the recommended image width from Step 1 in the Width box
• Enter the recommended image height from Step 1 in the Height box.
• In the image window, drag the mouse to create a crop box over the image. Then use the mouse to drag the edges of the crop box to cover the part of the image you want to keep.
  • This is usually as large as you can make it, or enough to cover the subject of the image.
• When you are happy with your crop selection, crop the image by hitting enter, or double clicking inside of the crop box. The parts of the original image that were outside of the crop box should disappear.

Step #4: Resize the Image
If you are starting with a high resolution image, in most cases, your newly cropped image will still be larger than the recommended image size in step 1, so you need to resize the image down to the correct width and height.

• Select Image from the top menu, and then select Image Size
• Tick the Constrain Proportions box.
• Enter the recommended image width from Step 1 in the Width box
• Enter the recommended image height from Step 1 in the Height box.
• Press Ok.

Step #5: Save the Image

• Select File from the top menu, and then select Save
• Select My Computer from the options in the left column
• Enter a name for the image file
• Select the Format
  • For photographs, always select JPEG
  • For images that are graphics, or that require transparent areas, select PNG
• For JPEG, adjust the quality slider until the size is around 100Kb, increase the quality if the image looks pixelated or boxy.
  • The smaller the file size, the faster the image will load.
• Select the location on your computer to save the image into and press Save.

And Viola (that's her name, don't wear it out), you now have an image perfect for your website.

Pro Tip: Before saving the image, have a look in the Adjustment menu at the top. Experiment with Colour Vibrance or Curves to change the colour balance of your images. You can also apply some automatic filters like Sepia or Old Photo to create different effects.

Resources:

• Pixlr Editor
• Pixlr Tutorials
• 10 Ideas For Creating Images For Your Website

How do you create your images? Got any little tips or tricks that you'd like to share? Let us know on our iASP Central Facebook Page, or Get in Touch.

*A statement supported by this website: Be Seen In 2015.

In the blink of an eye the new financial year is apon us.

The global economy is still in a state of flux and many local Australian business operators are already experiencing tough times, due in no small part to both the current state of national politics and the looming federal election, which inevitably leads to a slow down across many sectors.

At times like these business needs to work as smart as possible, and my number one tactic - and new financial year resolution - is simply get with the program.

What does that mean you ask?

There are so many time saving programs (software tools, apps and plugins etc.) now available that the day to day operations of a business do not have to be such hard work.

Likewise the Internet and in particular e-commerce has reduced the hassle of some menial and time consuming tasks from once taking hours to just minutes.

For example, some vendors like Officeworks deliver orders placed before 11:30am in capital cities on the same day...so why would you battle traffic, check-out queues and your office stairs when in a fraction of the time you can arrange for goods to be delivered right into your reception area!

When it comes to your existing systems and software, make it a priority to be sure your suppliers are doing their part to upkeep the technology with the latest capabilities.

In our case we've been sure to keep our website development technology capabilities at the forefront of the mobile Internet revolution.

It's also a good time to review the terms and options vendors offer. For example, one software vendor we deal with offers a full purchase option for around $3,000.00. Alternatively, an annual subscription to their cloud based service is around $50.00 per month.

The moral of this article is be pro-active and look for ways to save time and money, which can be re-purposed for other initiatives that have a positive impact on your bottom line.