One of the fortunate advantages of being a small technology company lies in the variety of businesses, tools, and processes we get exposure to on a continued basis. It provides the opportunity to both better understand how other companies run, while allowing us to explore new ways to advance their operations in a practical manner through software. In the spirit of this, Ablesoft has created recurring sessions dedicated to understanding businesses and technology for its employees:
Monthly Tech Sessions - Each month, a developer picks a topic within the software world to share and discuss with the rest of the company. These topics range from new programming technologies, to development tools, and the implications of emerging technologies such as drones. Often leading to thoughtful conversations, some ideas evolve into solutions for our customers and others just scratch the itches of curiosity. Regardless of the results, the sessions provide a healthy way to stay relevant on current technologies.
Ablesoft Field Trips - To better familiarize our employees with the operations of our customers, starting this quarter, we have begun offsite 'field trips'. In these trips, we allocate time to learn more about customer operations, and to gain additional perspective on their challenges and needs. Recently, we took a trip to Rockford to tour an aerospace supplier and their uniquely modern plant. Serving dual purposes, the tours are a pleasurable end educational distraction for the staff; but also enable us to better understand our customers’ perspectives and needs.
Whatever the method, putting an emphasis on continuing to expand employees' exposure to new ideas is an important way to stay up-to-date, and better equipped to solve customer's problems.