AI developments

AI developments

AI can help us with all sorts of work. We have been looking for about five years at how we could integrate the power of AI developments into AXLR8 product lines. Here are a few examples.

  • Sales One simple early success came from batch OCR reading of visiting cards brought back from a trade show or trip. It works really well with competing offers from MS, Amazon, Google and others. The offers are provided on a Freemium basis. Last time we checked you could use 1000 searches a month before hitting a paywall. Nowadays, however, more utility from AI Developments when entering data into your CRM comes from customer enquiry forms on your website or AXLR8 Import Admin for, e.g. your LinkedIn contacts. Specialist suppliers are creating interesting marketing applications. We are monitoring these tools. Soon we will integrate a “best of breed” partner’s offering. Most likely, this will be for lead generation and proposal writing.
  • Information Governance We researched the claims of suppliers offering AI to help with SAR redaction. Their utility did not match the claims except in the simplest examples. I would describe the results as worthy of a Khaby Lame reactions TikTok video. We will come back to that in future.
  • ATS (applicant tracking systems) seems a good area for AI developments. Applying AI to recruitment strategies could really speed up onboarding staff for rapid deployments or growth. We are also looking at spotting issues with vetting and rights to work.
  • Workforce planning Optimising staff journeys and bookings for shifts in security, field marketing, hospitality and counter cover seems achievable. Clients with large data sources to learn from is proving an interesting area of study.
  • Finance Brokers We have seen some success with selecting funders. However, none of the AXLR8 AI developments match an experienced commercial finance intermediary professional. You need the experience and client knowledge. Like the IG example of redaction, above, there is a limit to how useful the tool an be. Also, it needs material to learn from. How much insight of a client situation is an AR prepared to type into a system. Any algorithm created by banks for loans seems to miss great funding requirements. It creates the very conditions where clients work through brokers!
  • Marketing The next stage of our marketing functions would be if they autogenerated content and knew and could learn from e.g. campaign timing. Most of our clients need quality with low unsubscribe rates in their mailings. So, care would be needed. Can you spot one of our blogs that was co-written by ChatGPT?
  • Systems reliability AI is most helpful behind the scenes in predictive self-healing algorithms. These fix our systems regularly before problems arise. This has been a positive AI development.

AXLR8 will carry on investing in development trials. If you feel an area of our products could be automated, please let us know.

New Finance Broker Portal User Experience

Thanks to the commercial finance intermediary clients and their teams who have helped us develop and improve this new look and feel. We hope you feel we acted on your feedback and you like the results. If your organisation has not switched your user account over to it yet, here is a video showing how it works.

AXLR8 Commercial Finance Systems
Easy to use and improves productivity

AXLR8 has been working for two years on a new set of portal development tools to create user experience (UX) – simple workflow systems that are easy to use. We have deployed them on modules of our other systems before but this is the first full systems refresh to come all the way through a year of broker feedback.

In addition to improving productivity, the new user interfaces we hope the systems are

  • easy to use
  • simple to understand
  • quick to learn (virtually no training is our goal)
  • flexible to change and evolve for your company
  • easy to pick up again after a break
  • friendly
  • secure and quick

Please judge for yourself. Watch this video.

The new interface development tools are proven in many of our systems now including the Loan Matrix (Loan Management System), Information Asset register (IAR) and the new Talent Management and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) from AXLR8.

Easy to use AXLR8 Portals
Easy to use AXLR8 Portals

New AXLR8 Commercial Finance interfaces

AXLR8 are migrating users to new interfaces to reduce training and make the system quicker and easier to use. Simple lists of proposals and clients have clicks through to more details if desired. Adding new propsals uses a step-by-step wizard approach that even the world’s greatest technophobe will embrace!

Easy to use AXLR8 Portals
Easy to use AXLR8 Portals

These announcements (and see here) are part of the product roadmap which started nearly 20 years ago and will continue with many interfaces to external lenders and other information sources.

Please call to discuss your team’s requirements.

01344 776500

Clear new AXLR8 Portal interfaces

Clear new AXLR8 Portal interfaces

AXLR8 has been spending the last three years updating and improving the AXLR8 User Experience (UX). Many parts of the system are now being systematically added and seamlessly replacing exisiting client systems.

Staffing Agencies

Field staffing apps have been evolving for a while and are now customised to your company and also have all the functionality you would expect from AXLR8’s comprehensive staffing agency systems.

Applicants for different job postings
AXLR8 Application Tracking System: effective recruitment metrics

The staffing systems internal HQ Admin wokflows are being improved, functon by function, starting with the recruitment team using AXLR8 applicant tracking systems.

Dashboards

AXLR8 Dashboards are built internally at clients with knowledgeable accredited AXLR8 Super Users now. They can be built and placed any where in the system but the most popular place is the opening page with a management overview.

AXLR8 Dashboards
AXLR8 Dashboards give a real time overview of business health

Finance

AXLR8 are growing in the commercial finance and loan management systems markets as a direct result of improving user interfaces.

AXLR8 LoanMatrix
AXLR8 Loan Management Systems

Government

AXLR8 is updating the Information Request Management and Information Asset Register systems in use across central and local government and NHS.

AXLR8 IAR
Information Asset Register keeps data sources inventory maintained

Apps

AXLR8 have been delivering Apps on all major operating environments for seeral years for our clients to replace and complement our web apps and web portals.

App Screens
Simple to use fault reporting and service logging app

The above maintenance app is a simple “see snap send” reporting mechanism as well as containing all the information requied for service, installation and other equipment management tasks for an engineer.

The comprehensive AXLR8 Staffing App is simpl for the staff member to use for shift information, work planning availability calendar, pay, expenses, field reporting and surveys (on and off line) updating personal details, Chat mechanism, proof of attendance and so much more. It is used by tens of thousands of staff every day.

Staff App Screens
Staffing App with client customised content and functionality

Please email sales@axlr8.com or call us about your business systems requirement 01344 776500

AXLR8 Login Tips

Security is only going to get stronger in the world of business applications.

Therefore, some of your legitimate users will face occasional barriers to accessing your business applications including the one you have purchased from AXLR8.

Quick fixes

Assuming they are legitimate users, the quick solutions you can try are as follows.

Common user issueWhat to do about it
Forgot password (includes typing the wrong case e.g. “ABCD1234” instead of “AbCd1234”)They should go through the password reset process. It sends them a temporary login and instructions on how to create a new secure password.
A Super User can also kick off this password reset process.
Too many false login attemptsThe users account will be disabled. A Super User needs to go to their User Admin area, select that user and take their account from the “disabled” to the “active” list. Don’t forget to check they are still legitimate users!
Not received password reset emailThe email with the reset password instructions has probably gone into their spam folder.*
The user must check their spam folder, retrieve the mail and follow the instructions.
User forgot login name (includes typing it wrong such as “JOHN SMITH” when it is actually “JOHNSMITH” without a space)They can use the user name reminder process.
You can send them the correct user name and explain the importance of typing it exactly.

*If all go to spam, then your DKIM and SPF records a may not be set up correctly and you may need to ask assistance of whoever manages your DNS.  AXLR8 can re-supply the correct values for these.

The above should solve it (and probably similar problems from any system you may use, from any supplier). If not, one of your company’s AXLR8 Super Users should follow the steps in the link below with your user (client, field staff, etc.) in order to resolve the matter.

Detailed help notes

For more detailed instructions about how to troubleshoot problems when users cannot log in, please click here.

AXLR8 Dashboard functions

AXLR8 Dashboard functions

We recently launched a new set of functions for building dashboards.

The functionality is being provided to beta clients and some new clients now.  It will soon become widespread.

AXLR8 Dashboards will address two key UI issues we have been working through in the last four years.

Cx Dashboard

The CEO and Cx suite (board, VPs, etc.)  will want different dashbards to the functional dashboards we have as standard in the project. A staff booker will log in to an overview of campaigns and a sales person may log in to their active deals. Howver, a CEO or COO may need a couple of graphs and two buttons to take them to some areas of P&L detail or other KPIs for the business such as client feedback scores.  Previously, we have built these as custom developments and they have been expensive and mostly only applicable to one specific customer.  Now AXLR8 can quickly model and deploy different dashboards for different directors/executive officers.

Functional Dashboards

These are the dashboards that would be used by specific staff and managers to achieve their job objectives on a daily basis.  For example a warehouse manager may need to know tools availability and testing schedules for the purposes of kitting out vans during each week with safe, servicable tools.  A talent manager may wish to see how many applicants came in over night and how the talent pool stands including whose SIA licence paperwork or work visas are coming up for renewal.

We will follow up with an article with some Use Cases in different industries.

AXLR8 Dashboards

AXLR8 has been working on a broad UI improvement strategy over the last four years.  AXLR8 Dashboards are one of the main planks of that strategy.   Apart from developer team alignment, creative new look and feel approaches and UI standards, the main UI development areas include:

  • Operational Apps which interact with the AXLR8 enterprise data in your company  – built for
    • Android tablets and smartphones
    • iPhones and iPads running Apple iOS
  • Specialist portals for field staff
  • Simplified vertical market portals for specific job roles including finance brokers, request managers and asset/warehouse, transport and maintenance staff
  • AXLR8 Report Builder UI evolution
  • AXLR8 e-Learning
  • APIs to other systems extending access for users (e.g. integrated credit check searches for sales people or integrated proposal entry for finance brokers)
  • AXLR8 Dashboards

AXLR8 Dashboards are customisable by AXLR8 Support Consultants.  In Q4 2019 we plan to add the skills into the AXLR8 Super User training course deliverables.  Many AXLR8 SuperUsers will be able to customise these AXLR8 Dashboards for their board directors to see their KPIs and metrics as well as for operational and field staff in specific professional areas such as broking, job tracking, government information request management, talent management (including  Applicant tracking, vetting and and staff bookings), sales, maintenance, and many more.

What is an AXLR8 Dashboard?

AXLR8 Dashboards are overview screens making access to your information quicker and easier.  The AXLR8 Dashboards Manager allows the Super User or Consultant to:

  • customise a view (e.g. an opening view after login) of the system with only the buttons, graphs, etc. that a user or group of users needs
  • cascade more reports and dashboards when that user clicks through to them

This is best illustrated with examples of how dashboards are used.

Who needs AXLR8 Dashboards?

Use case: CEO dash

CEOs often identify 5-10 key metrics they need to run the business and identify trends.  Most great CEOs also want to dig into the detail.  So an opening screen with these key metrics and buttons leading to reports and data on the main functional areas of their business: sales forecast, sales league table, customer satisfaction survey feedback, delayed projects, bookings, etc. can easily be made for the Cx who would normally not engage with systems.

Use case: Warehouse Operations dash

In this specific area, the people in the warehouse are agents for any business critical processes and for change and evolution.  To make a system easy for them to use, it must be built with their vocabulary and each function must be accessible from a simple menu or set of buttons:  Book goods in, what equipment needs a PAT  or PUWER test, what items are in repair, how many of those drills are available, which vehicles need an MOT (TuV, etc.), how many perishable items are three months from disposal.

Use case: Talent Manager dash

In one company this could mean a dashboard of applicant tracking data, in another it might be extended to vetting, staff surveys, staff work metrics and discipline.  Yet another manager may be using AXLR8 e-Learning to develop staff and needs to make sure goals on staff numbers with certain qualifications are achieved.  Talent managers will have differing goals from company to company and AXLR8 Talent Managment and ATS, Vetting and other functions need to be customised for each company’s needs.

Use case: Customer Support dash

The Support Manager, or Operations Manager will be measured by the Cx level managers on many critical metrics.  This dashboard can be customised so that buttons and graphs on the opening page may show graphs of or allow access to such items as:

  • Map of where my maintenance staff are today
  • Current customer satisfaction feedback scores from AXLR8 Surveys and similar AXLR8 functions
  • Any tickets or requests that have taken longer than target response or resolution times

 

AXLR8 commercial client GDPR

AXLR8 have produced the following AXLR8 GDPR document for clients in the commercial sector – especially those who use direct mail with our Newsletter Builder and other tools in B2C markets.

It also refers to a new AXLR8 Data Cleaning document.

Staffing Clients

Those in staffing will find it useful as there are some pointers about adding the Opt Ins to your staff contracts.  It seems reasonable to ask staff to read email in order to see what what work is coming up, confirming/ changing shifts and so on.  More is available on our specialist staffing website at http://staffing.axlr8.com.

For example, we will be covering data retention periods and especially applicant data and data about terminated staff (with and without payment history.

Government  Clients

AXLR8 are creating special new SAR 30/60/90 Information Request Types.  More details are on the way to government users of our FOI systems.

De Lage Landen integration

Great project with the De Laga Landen developer support team last month.

AXLR8 now have a direct proposal introduction system in test and hope to have the first clients using it within a month.  Fantastic development  job by all concerned.

Great to work with such a forward-looking financial company.

AXLR8 Commercial Asset Finance V4.0 launches

Version 4 of the AXLR8 Commercial Asset Finance offering is now available.

What’s new?  The system is GDPR compliant.

It now includes compatibility with:

  • AXLR8 Trigaware: which automates alerts and messages for end of funding period and other actions.
  • AXLR8 Exchange Vault: which automatically stores proposal and client email traffic in the correct places by using the client email address and, if relevant, to a quote or proposal, using the funding opportunity (also called “finance requirement” or “funding requirement”) reference in the email subject line.  This is an invaluable tool for both client service and relationship building as well as compliance audit transparency.  All the email correspondence for contacts from funders, suppliers, clients and others may be found in their file and likewise, all the correspondence for a quote or funding proposal may be found quickly with that funding requirement’s record.
  • AXLR8 Mailing Manager: this includes AXLR8 Newsletter Builder which is an effective tool for new business sales as well as keeping clients informed of news and developments at your company.  It also has extensive mail merge capability so that it can produce contracts for clients or employees and many other forms of correspondence.  In more advanced forms, the AXLR8 Mailmerge system can merge context specific information into one or more funding proposals documents including:
    • Funder Details
    • Client Details
    • Equipment Supplier Details
    • client bank, accountant, and other details from KYC and profiling (e.g. length of time at residence and home ownership  and unlimited other profiling information).
    • Equipment details
    • Background information and funding  business case.
    • Financial parameters such as equipment costs, advances and all the other data required for any funder’s decision.
  • AXLR8 Report Builder:  This allows the creation of reports on the fly and the creation of ad hoc operational data queries.  These may be combined and the data can be exported to other systems & tools.  Thus, the requirements for compliance reporting (e.g. Gabriel reporting) or funder reports, supplier reports, sales commission calculations are all avaialbe with a few clicks.

…..and many other AXLR8 modules.  The system parameters, vocabulary, labels, statuses, profiles and menus can be updated by the your superuser without expensive programmer intervention.

Cassiopae Freehand

AXLR8 have also been working with Cassiopae UK behind the scenes to integrate Cassiopae’s market leading Freehand quotation software in to our AXLR8 proposal management system for Commercial Asset Finance Intermediaries.

 

Is it compatible with my system and do I need to ugrade?  It is based on the AXLR8 CRM (Dragon release and above.  Those clients still using the previous version on Cobra releases have been contacted about options, dates and plans for upgrading.