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One and Co

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The Most Useful Software to Increase Operational Efficiencies

No matter what industry you are operating in, you are likely looking to improve your operational efficacies. Improving your operational efficiencies will offer several benefits, such as increasing your bottom line, increasing workplace productivity, and benefiting customer relationships. The list below is designed to showcase some of the most useful software for businesses to increase their operational efficacies.

1. Inventory Management Systems

Inventory management software can help businesses to increase efficiencies of operations related to inventory management. The specific operations that will benefit from using inventory management software include shipping, manufacturing, and stock taking. Inventory management systems enable a business to better track the stock they have, where it is located, and its length at their facility. Problems with inventory can have a whole range of unintended consequences for businesses. If you are not on top of your inventory, you can lose money from deadstock taking up space and from problems with quality control, locating, and packaging stock. Inventory management software enables a business to increase its operational efficiencies and avoid potentially disastrous problems caused by poor inventory management.

2. Industry Search Engines

As the founders of Octopart know only too well, difficulties locating the parts you need can cause a whole range of inefficiencies throughout a manufacturing production line. Using an industry dedicated search engine can enable a business to improve efficiencies by allowing them to more quickly and easily locate the materials they need. Not only does using this software help businesses to more easily and quickly find materials but it also helps businesses to save money. Industry search engines allow professionals to find and compare materials to ensure they are always making the most valuable returns.

3. Workforce Management Software

Workforce management software is a collection of tools that are all designed to ensure that your employees are currently working as productively as possible. There is a range of specific trackers and tools included in most inventory management software, these include:

  • Employee engagement
  • Workload management
  • Time trackers
  • Absence management
  • Scheduling

Workforce management software enables you to identify how employees are feeling about their work, how absorbed and enthusiastic they are. It also shows managers which tasks take up most of an employee’s time. Information like this can provide extremely useful when it comes to increasing operational efficiencies. Workforce management software is designed to provide managers with all the information they need for actionable insights that prompt operational efficiency improvement.

4. Automation Software

Businesses that adopt automation software would expect to see a large increase in their operational efficiencies. By automating routine and repeat processes, businesses can expect to see an increase in output. This is because automation software, unlike an employee, can work throughout the day, seven days a week. Not only are you increasing the output on routine tasks, but automation software also enables businesses to use their employees better. The employees that would otherwise be required to focus on these routine tasks are now free to work on more demanding or relevant tasks.

 

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Important Things to Know About Crime Trends in America

When you’re thinking about how to keep yourself safe, you’re also probably going to want to learn a bit about crime trends. Without this knowledge, it’s likely that you’ll be more worried about safety than you need to. The best way you can prepare yourself is to learn about the real crime trends in America. Here’s what you need to know about the United States’ crime trends.

All Types of Crime Are Decreasing

First and foremost, don’t lean into the idea that the United States is becoming more and more dangerous. As a matter of fact, it’s declined over the years. Here’s the overall national crime rate per 100,000 since 2010:

  • 2010: 3,350.4
  • 2011: 3,292.5
  • 2012: 3,255.8
  • 2013: 3,112.4
  • 2014: 2,971.8
  • 2015: 2,859.6
  • 2016: 2,837
  • 2017: 2,745.1
  • 2018: 2,568.4

As you can see, every year, crime overall has decreased rather than increased. Even when it comes to specifically violent crimes, the trend has been going down overall. This is specifically violent crime per 100,000 since 2010:

  • 2010: 404.5
  • 2011: 387.1
  • 2012: 387.8
  • 2013: 379.1
  • 2014: 375.7
  • 2015: 372.6
  • 2016: 386.3
  • 2017: 382.9
  • 2018: 368.9

Even though this is a bit more up-and-down, it’s clear that violent crime is going down. The homicide rate in 2018, for example, was half of the rate in 1991. People are becoming safer in general from both general crime and violent crime.

The Most Dangerous and Least Dangerous Places in the United States

It’s also important to learn a bit about where you might want to go to stay safe. These, for example, are the five most dangerous cities in America in terms of violent crime rate per 100,000:

  • Detroit, Michigan: 2,007.8
  • Memphis, Tennessee: 1,943.2
  • Birmingham, Alabama: 1,911.5
  • Baltimore, Maryland: 1,833.4
  • St Louis, Missouri: 1,800.4

Contrast this with the safest cities in America in terms of violent crime rate per 100,000. These have a truly miniscule crime rate overall:

  • Hopkinton, Massachusetts: Nearly 0
  • Bridgefield, Connecticut: Nearly 0
  • Madison, Connecticut: Nearly 0
  • Harrison Town, New York: 3.5
  • Bernards Township, New Jersey: 3.7

The Impact of Socioeconomic Status

Even just in looking at the most dangerous and least dangerous cities in the United States, you’ll likely already see that socioeconomic status has an impact. The 10 most dangerous cities in the United States have a poverty rate over 20% and high unemployment, whereas the safest cities have a median area income over $100,000 yearly. As you can see, the ability to make more money makes you more likely to be safe.

Conclusion

If you only get your information from the news, it’s easy to worry that the world, and the United States in particular, is extremely dangerous. As a matter of fact, the United States is safer today than it was 30 years ago. This is one of the most important things to remember when you’re trying to keep yourself and your family safe. Keep yourself up to date on the people around you and the people you trust – don’t just assume everyone’s out to get you.

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BCFS Health and Human Services Worked Hard to Keep Texans Warm and Safe During the Spring 2021 Snowstorms

The historic spring snowstorms that impacted Texas and neighboring states in the spring of 2021 started out as picturesque events for areas that do not see much annual snowfall. However, the novelty of the storms quickly turned to frustration and danger as the icy cold temperatures disrupted the Texas power grid. Millions of people lost power during and after the storms. Residents had difficulty finding grocery store items, buying gas, and heating their homes to a sufficient level to ensure their survival. Multiple relief organizations help Texans overcome the storm’s challenges, including BCFS Health and Human Services. This nonprofit organization is based in Texas and provides emergency management and response, vocational training, and educational and mental health services for children and families.

BCFS Health and Human Services’ work in Texas stretched throughout the state, reflecting the scale of the storm’s impact. In San Antonio, the organization developed a warming center at a nearby convention center. This facility provided more than 500 people a night a warm place to sleep and gain access to medical care. It was powered by BCFS Health and Human Services’ generators and offered residents blankets and other essential gear to keep them warm and comforted. The organization also addressed the water shortages in San Antonio by delivering 300 pallets of bottled water for a local food bank and other area organizations.

BCFS Health and Human Services operates several residential facilities in the state. Six of these facilities lost either power or water, or both, but due to their preparedness and BCFS Health and Human Services’ capabilities, they were all able to function without serious interruption due to on-site generators and stored food and water. Staff members were also impacted by the storm, so the organization provided food to some homebound staff who were unable to come to work. Other staff members put in extra hours at these facilities, helping setup cots and other temporary arrangements to ensure everyone’s needs were met.

Also receiving aid during the storm was Breckenridge Village of Tyler (BVT), a nonprofit that provides residential care to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This organization lost power and its administrators determined residents would need to evacuate in order to maintain their safety. They worked with BCFS Health and Human Services to set up a temporary shelter facility at a chapel, with power generators, and enough cots and blankets to meet the needs of this especially vulnerable population.

 

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Event Planning & Covid: How to Have a Safe, Fun Gathering

For a long time, the covid restrictions dictated that gatherings were not allowed, but as more and more cities, states and countries start allowing things to open up again, events are slowly creeping their way back into our daily life. This of course, isn’t events to the scale and extent of big concerts and large scale weddings, but we are starting to see more business gatherings, small weddings and hybrid events that have both an in-person component along with a virtual one.

It’s not impossible to have an event in today’s environment, but it is going to be a lot harder, and there will be a lot more things to consider. The key thing is focusing on safety and making sure people can carry out the measures that will keep everyone safe. Whether you’re planning a small business summit or planning a themed birthday party, remember to create a solid plan and stick to it. What does it take to plan a safe and successful event in the time of covid? Here are the key things you need to consider.

Start With The Numbers

The number of people that you’re going to have in attendance will have a lot of bearing on how the event will be structured. First, be clear on what your state’s maximum attendance is. That number should guide you in every other decision you’re going to make in this process. If the limit is 50 people, create your guest/attendant list with that number in mind. Don’t make the mistake of inviting a lot of people above the limit with the expectation of cancellations. Assume that everyone is going to say yes and work with that.

Location and Setting

Now that you know how many people are going to be at the event, it’s time to deal with the next critical thing, where your event is going to be held and what the setting is going to be. The worst thing in this pandemic is being in an enclosed space, so remember the key is open space, big rooms or even open air if need be. If there’s a lot of space, social distancing becomes easier, and people have room to move around freely without feeling restricted.

You can also have an event that’s a mix between indoor and outdoor. Companies like American Pavillion offer large tent rentals which can allow you to have your event on a large clearing of land, with a big tent so that there’s still an indoor component. This allows you to have a lot of space, but still shelter that isn’t a walled-in room. That is the perfect way to create a balance and to also cover your basis on keeping people safe. For people who are hosting a business conference or summit, there are ways to make sure that people can attend and still be safe. One thing you can do is spread everyone out, and instead of having many people at one table, you can have one person per table.

Attendant Awareness

Whoever is going to attend your event has to know what the restrictions are in advance so that they are prepared. The last thing you want to do is brief your guests when they get there. When you invite them, give them a list of all the requirements from the social distancing, to how things will be set up and what will be expected of them. This gives them a chance to plan accordingly and also for you to know that you have guests who are fully aware. Guests want to know that you as the event organizer care about their safety. When we brief them beforehand, we show that we care and give them the peace of mind to have a good time.

Meeting Points

The one thing that will make an event complicated is food and refreshments. Points where people gather are going to be potential areas where people can come in contact. Luckily reducing the numbers of attendants will help spread people out, and when it comes to how people eat and drink, having a wait staff who can serve people while they stay in one place can help, instead of a buffet. Also making sure people wear their masks anytime they are away from their tables will also reduce the chance of potential issues.

There are still ways to have a great event even if things are a little different to what we’re used to. The success of your event is really down to how well you plan it, and looking ahead to some of the issues that might arise, and following through with all the restrictions and requirements. Remember there is still the option of having a mix between online and in-person to cater to different people and to keep things like numbers manageable.

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Best Foods That Help Speed Up Addiction Recovery

Addiction recovery is a long process that requires a complete change of life habits. It involves both physical and mental health recovery, and it depends on everything you do and eat. Prolonged use of drugs or alcohol has a devastating effect on the body, so it takes a lot of effort to recover fully.

It’s no surprise that the food we eat also plays a major role in addiction recovery. Nutrition is very closely tied to health, so you must eat foods rich in vitamins and nutrients that promote faster opiate digestion. Keep reading, and we’ll give you a few useful tips that will help you get back on your feet and live a healthier life.

Alcohol and Drugs Have a Negative Effect On Eating Habits

Anyone battling addiction already knows that the everyday use of drugs and alcohol have a negative effect on eating habits. Most addicts have a very unhealthy diet, and they often don’t eat enough foods, eat unhealthy foods, and lose vital nutrients that can lead to gut damage and low production of brain chemicals.

These bad habits have a negative effect on the human mind, leading to feelings of depression, anxiety, and irritation. They are also followed by sleep disorders, increased levels of stress, tiredness, paranoia, and so on. That’s why the food we eat plays a significant role in addiction recovery.

What To Eat During Addiction Recovery

Almost every addiction recovery program starts with a balanced diet that works to improve natural hormone production in the brain. That includes eating foods with high levels of carbs, including complex carbs found in starchy foods. When combined with protein, these foods increase overall energy levels and help speed up the recovery process.

Vitamins are also important, as well as acids that usually reach dangerously low levels after years of substance abuse. Chronic alcohol consumption leads to the deficiency of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and so on.

Recovering addicts should stick to a strict diet that includes a higher than normal nutrition. The idea is to feed your body with all of the nutrients it was missing for so long. A good portion of those nutrients will be lost due to detoxification. Generally speaking, prolonged alcohol and drug abuse lead to feelings of tiredness, a weak immune system, digestive problems, dental problems, skin conditions, and so on. Let’s take a look at what foods will help you regain your strength and finally balance out your entire body.

Foods That Help Addiction Recovery

Your diet should consist of foods rich in nutrients that help balance the production of hormones in your brain. That will not only help you improve your overall health and wellbeing, but you will also be in a better mood and feel more energized. Here are a few foods that will definitely help you recover faster.

Fish and poultry

Both types of meats contain high levels of tyrosine, an important amino acid that plays a significant role in the creation of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine. Both of these chemicals promote focus and a sense of wellbeing.

Bananas

Bananas are rich in tryptophan, another amino acid that isn’t processed correctly while using drugs or alcohol. It’s a critical amino acid that affects serotonin production. Serotonin is the so-called happiness hormone, so eating bananas can help improve your overall sleep quality and relaxation.

Vegetables

Vegetables are full of essential vitamins our bodies and brains need to function correctly. Eating vegetables during addiction recovery has a profound effect on restoring proper nutrition levels and helping your skin and hair regenerate better.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a natural probiotic full of good gut bacteria that promotes gut regeneration and helps improve overall nutrient absorption. It helps stabilize the digestive tract and helps you get rid of diarrhea, constipation, and gasses, which are very common among addicts.

Tofu

Tofu is a food that’s very easy to digest, and it’s full of proteins that help with liver recovery. It’s an excellent option that helps detoxify the body, improve overall liver function, and promote faster healing.

Ask For Professional Help

Addiction recovery is a very hard and mentally demanding process that can easily lead to a relapse if not done right. That’s why you should contact a professional to help guide you through the entire process. There are many different addiction recovery clinics and doctors that can help you get back on your feet.

Some people who can’t discipline themselves enough join a holistic recovery center that offers advanced programs and helps patients fully recover from their addictions. There’s nothing wrong with asking for professional help when health is concerned, especially for addiction recovery.

The Bottom Line

If you’re a recovering addict or if you’re thinking about making an effort towards a healthier life, you should definitely focus on changing your diet and eating healthy. Eliminate bad eating habits and replace them with healthier alternatives, and you will be able to stay sober and live a happier life. Don’t forget to contact a nutritionist and possibly a recovery center if you’re struggling on your own.

 

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Why Revialage Products Are Trending In 2021

There are many hair products out there in today’s world that you can hardly tell the difference between them. What’s more interesting is that these products are producing similar functions to the hair. The implication of this is that a product can hardly stand out, let alone trend in the beauty industry.

For a product to stand out, it means there are some special things about such a product. Currently, it appears that Revialage products are the products making the waves with their trend in 2021.

To know why this is so, it is important we consider the special thing behind these products. The following paragraphs provide the reasons for this.

  • Revialage came as a game-changer

Before now, there have been series of complaints about available products not meeting customers’ needs. Because the need for each woman’s skin and hair is complex, the existing products could not cater for this.

When Revialage products were made, these were the lacunas they covered. Revialage products have been made with every woman in mind. The products have different varieties that cater for the specific needs of each woman.

  • Customers are finding the products easy to use

One of the reasons Revialage products are trending in 2021 is that the customers find the products easy to use.

For many reasons, Revialage products have been easily and carefully formulated. This is so that customers can find the products superb and exciting each time they use them.

  • Customers are getting their desired solutions.

One thing about Revialage products is that those using them are seeing the real-time result. Those using the products for regrowth and rejuvenation are seeing the result.

The same fate applies to those using them for nutrition and support of their hair as well as for conditioning and strengthening. Revialage products cater to all her customers and satisfy the diverse hair or skin needs they might have.

  • Products are well formulated.

Everyone would agree that no one praises a product for its bad content. For a product to have trended, it signifies that there has been great commitment paid to its production.

This is the case of Revialage. All the products have been well-formulated after thorough research. This is so that each product can meet the desire of the clients.

Revialage wants to be known for being the producer of skin and hair products that brought solutions to people. So, huge efforts were paid it its production. The result of all these is people praising the product for meeting their needs and consequently trending it.

  • Online publicity

Revialage has adopted the online advertisement means to push its products to a wider audience. By placing their products in different media platforms, users are having easier access to them and testifying their effectiveness. This has drawn more people to the product, and the resultant effect has been wider publicity.

Like all other companies, Revialage is not stopping at this. Further efforts are being made to ensure that all the hair products being made by Revialage are pushed out there.

This way, more people can get to know about the product. And the dream of helping women gain back their confidence through healthy hair can come alive.

Read Next: The Biggest Hair Trends for Summer 2021 Are From The 1970s

 

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Top tips for making your house into a home

Use new flooring

If your floor is getting old and you feel that it just isn’t looking great anymore, then now is the time to make a change and purchase a new type of floor. If you are looking for a new lust-worthy floor that will last for decades, that is very durable and that is suitable for all types of homes, then herringbone flooring is a good place to style to use, as this style of flooring suits a wide range of consumer’s flooring needs.

Paint your walls

In order for a house to really feel like a home, you need to be fond of the way your home’s interior looks. Home interior trends seem to change every year and we as consumers tastes change along with the times. You may have loved your red walls 10+ years ago, but do you really love them now? the chances are that you probably don’t.

If you are stuck for ideas on the sorts of colour pallets that will complement your home interior, then Instagram or Pinterest will give you lots of inspiration and the interior styles that are featured on Instagram really do vary, so there will be colour schemes that you will really appreciate.

The use of pastel colours have always been popular, especially if you are looking to give your home a slight feminine style. All pastel colours look very nice together, so you could use all the colours together and create an ice cream/candy floss themed room.

Use soft furnishings

The use of soft furnishings is a cost effective and easy way of bringing comfort to a room. Soft furnishings are especially needed during colder winter months, or if you are just having a lazy Sunday on the sofa and you want a nice soft warm throw to snuggle up in. Furthermore, soft furnishings are not always exclusively blankets, throws and cushions, they are also more practical items, such as curtains and rugs which give character to a room, which will therefore make a room seem more homely.

Use new lights

Lighting is actually a very important feature of creating a home, in the UK unfortunately we do lack natural light because of our mostly cloudy weather. So, it is almost essential to add lighting where necessary. Lighting can either be bright, vibrant and good for those who work from home, or they can either be slightly duller and have more of a warmth within their tone, to create more of warm and cosy ambience.

Add a fireplace to your living room

Fireplaces add such a warmth and cosy feel to a living room. However, most modern houses are not built with a fireplace as it is a relatively old concept of heating a house, but some may argue a home doesn’t feel like a home without having at least one fireplace. However, not to worry! Actual fireplace heaters are available to purchase, that can look very genuine and they still have a flame and like a fireplace they can adequately heat up a room.

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6 Jobs to Do This Spring

It feels like spring has sprung out of nowhere this year! From the big freeze of the arctic vortex to Spring Equinox coming and going, this year, it feels like spring is needed even more.

Life is still quite tough for a lot of us, with the pandemic showing signs of ebbing but still worrying for a lot, and for many people staying at home will be on the cards for a bit longer.

Sort Out Your Home

With staying home in mind, it’s time to start thinking about those jobs you need to get done this spring and start setting aside the time to do them, so you can have a relaxing summer break knowing that your house is in the best condition possible.

Some of these jobs only need to be done once a year, but others you should probably put on your quarterly maintenance plan to ensure everything stays in working order.

Check Your Plumbing

Get a local plumber in to check your plumbing this spring, and make sure everything is ready for that summer break.

The last thing you want during the summer is an issue with your water supply, which means you can’t get adequate drinking water into the house or aren’t able to have showers or use the pool.

Using a local plumber also supports local businesses, and local businesses have been really hard hit by this pandemic. You will find plumbers in Tulsa OK, to give you some great options and prices, and you’ll be doing your bit to help a local business survive too.

Clear Your Guttering

Guttering can get clogged up at any time of the year, and over autumn and winter, you’re likely to get a lot of debris from dirt, leaves, and even moss stuck in the guttering.

If you didn’t clear your guttering in wintertime, get it done right at the beginning of spring, before wild birds spot it as a wonderful place to make a nest!

Jetwash and Reseal Your Decking

Wooden decking looks fantastic, but it takes a lot of maintenance to keep it looking at its best.

When the weather warms up and you’ve got a few dry days to look forwards to, give your decking a good jetwash and a reseal; this will make sure it’s in the best condition for the next year ahead.

Paint Fences and Sidings

Over winter, your fences and siding will take a lot, especially with the very harsh weather we’ve had this year.

It’s best to give them a good paint and reseal, just like you do with your wooden deck, to ensure that they will last. You can also take this time to check the wood and replace any rotten or broken panels.

Start Your Garden

Less maintenance and more calming!

Starting your garden now allows you maximum time to enjoy it over the summer months, whether you’re going to be planting a beautiful bloom of colors or digging for victory with your own raised bed vegetable garden!

 

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How to Set Yourself Up for Success in Nursing School

If you have decided on nursing for your chosen career path, you are about to embark on a journey to an incredibly rewarding career that will both challenge you and allow you to contribute to the health and wellbeing of your future patients. Nursing is also a career that provides for an abundance of opportunities to practice in various capacities and roles within the greater world of healthcare.

Before you are ready to start your career in nursing, however, you will need to enroll in nursing school and complete your degree. While there is more than one way to become a qualified nurse, the most popular route these days is to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

A BSN degree will take roughly four years to complete, depending on your past education and qualifications, and can be quite a taxing process. From your first introduction into the world of medicine to your last clinical rotation, you will find yourself challenged throughout nursing school in ways that you might not have imagined. In fact, around 20% of nursing school students drop out and abandon their programs altogether each year.

The best thing you can do in order to achieve success in nursing school is take a proactive stance in setting yourself up to succeed. With many nursing school dropouts attributing their early departure from school to a variety of reasons ranging from financial to personal, it is impossible to provide for every eventuality. However, by thinking ahead and taking care to make the right decisions regarding your education, you can put yourself in a better position from the start of your education.

If you are about to enter nursing school and want to set yourself up for success to the best of your ability, here are a few things to consider.

Choose the Right Program

There are a great many nursing school students who choose to leave the program they are in because they ultimately find that the school is not a good fit for them. Not all nursing schools are created equal and many differ both in structure as well as in general philosophy when it comes to educating nurses. It is important that you choose the right program for you if you want to have the best chances of sticking it out.

For starters, you should consider the type of program that you are more comfortable with. While some people perform better in a traditional academic setting, there are other options out there these days for those who are not able to attend college in the traditional sense.

Online nursing school programs are becoming more and more popular. This is because nursing students are able to complete their courses on their own time without feeling restrained by being in a classroom at particular times. This flexibility helps many students who are in a situation where they need to work while they are in school as well.

Furthermore, making your selection from a number of accelerated BSN nursing programs means that you might not need to spend as much time on your degree as you would if you enrolled in a traditional four-year program. Ultimately, you will set yourself up for the best chances of finding success in nursing school when you take the time to choose a program that fits you.

Master Time Management

No matter what sort of program you choose to enroll in, it is important that you understand right from the start that nursing school is a very demanding process. This is because the job of a nurse is demanding as well, and you will need to be prepared for such a career. You will need to learn how to budget your time wisely through solid time management practices.

For starters, learning how to schedule your time from week to week is going to be a skill that is worth acquiring. While you will have designated class times and clinicals, you will need to schedule in time for studying and extensive reading. If you have social or professional obligations that must be seen to throughout the week, these should find their way onto your schedule as well.

The key to mastering time management, though, is to be honest with yourself. If you know that it is going to take you longer to prepare for a certain exam, then you need to make sure that your schedule and priorities reflect that. You will not do yourself any favors by overscheduling yourself throughout nursing school.

Do Not be Afraid to Ask for Help

Nursing school can be an incredibly humbling experience. Because of the demands of the workload, it is easy to find yourself overwhelmed and struggling to keep up. In such cases, you need to understand that there is no shame in asking for help.

In fact, many students who are pursuing degrees in medicine are encouraged to have at least a consultation with a school counselor in order to help them become more aware of the mental health risks associated with such endeavors and to learn the best ways to manage stress and anxiety. Asking for help in this way can be incredibly beneficial and help you to learn the signs of stress and burnout before things spiral out of control.

There are also other ways that you should be prepared to ask for help. For example, if you have previously seen yourself as an independent studier, nursing school is going to be the perfect time to learn the many benefits of joining a study group. It is nearly impossible to memorize and master all of the reading and material that you will be presented with in nursing school. A study group is a great way to share the workload a bit and make things a bit easier to manage.

Lastly, bear in mind that your professors and instructors are there to guide you. Never be afraid to ask for clarification or guidance when you are not entirely sure about something pertaining to a class.

 

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How Business Intelligence Can Help Your Customer Service

If you’re running a business, it can be challenging to get a handle on exactly what level of service your customers are receiving, and more than that, whether or not they are happy with that service.

Having tangible data on how customer service is being provided is essential if you want to identify areas where you can improve your service and ultimately keep your customers happier.

What is business intelligence?

Business intelligence means using software and data services to gather information about your business. This information is then analyzed and turned into insights that you can act upon in order to improve business performance.

For example, in a customer service setting, you might use a Business Intelligence (BI) tool to record call types and call duration. Using this information, you can start to understand which types of calls take the longest to resolve, which is information that is useful to you when deciding where to focus your training or which areas of your business you want to try and make more ‘self-service’ by taking them online.

Allows you to measure team performance

Using business intelligence within your customer service function allows you to monitor customer service KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) to give you better insights on things like customer satisfaction and customer retention. It can also give you insights into team performance, which gives you the opportunity to address issues as they begin to arise rather than once they have already become an issue.

For example, you might notice that performance in a certain team has declined ever since a particular line manager was employed. This would give you the opportunity to speak to that line manager and help them to work more effectively with their team, both so that customer service is improved and your team is happy within their working environment.

It helps you to understand what customers want

BI can be used specifically for customer interaction intelligence, allowing you to monitor things like customer engagement.

For example, you might notice from using your BI tool that emails sent out on one subject were opened by 60% of customers, whereas emails on another subject were opened by only 20% of customers. This tells you what kind of content your customer base is generally engaging with.

You can also take this further and begin to form insights on which demographics are engaging with which types of content, which in turn can help you to more effectively target your marketing campaigns.

It shows you where you can innovate

Using business intelligence gives you the opportunity to see where you are performing well and where you aren’t, using real data. It also gives you the ability to spot opportunities for you to get ahead of the competition.

Using BI, you can start to understand your customers’ mindset more and more, which means that you can start to understand what they want and when they want it. Using this information, you can offer new products and services which you know will be popular because you have the data to back it up.

Not only does this enable you to make better decisions, but it also gives you better information with which to back up your decisions to shareholders and board members.