facebookpixel

3 ways we’re improving the client experience

CMMA Blog

We are all about providing you with the tools that will make your job easier and more effective. Independent contractor payroll management can be complicated: We simplify it so you can get back to the work you do best. We spent a lot of 2019 improving your experience and now we have our sights set on what we can do next.

Here’s some of what Payreel did in 2019 to improve client experience:

Standardized the un-standardizable to keep you on sure legal ground 

Worker classification is a hot topic right now. And for good reason. With California’s AB5 and the subsequent shockwaves it has sent through the industry, everyone has their eye on where things are and where they’re going. We do, too! We’ve developed AI-based software to take much of the subjectivity out of classifying workers. While there’s no way to truly standardize something with so much gray area, what we can do is put a set of parameters in place to make sure that your organization makes the decision the same way every time based on a set of measurable rules rather than someone’s opinion. The biggest benefit here is that it gives you a solid leg to stand on if you ever have to justify your decisions in a court of law. We’ve also made it easier, quicker, and more efficient for you to see where an IC classification case stands as well as each worker’s IC population in PRO.

Software development may not seem very sexy until you realize how much time, money, and headache it can save you!  

Matrix-ed our system so it can “learn” your system’s language with no human translation necessary 

We developed an Application Programming Interface (API) that bridges the gap between your software and ours. This is extra special because it means PayReel software can communicate with your time-tracking (or any other kind of) software without any human intervention. That means you can fulfill changing needs on your end quickly without having to rewire/recode (i.e. without disruption), intuitively connect your people to critical information, forms, and reports, and skip maddening double data entry/typing. Sexy, right? 

Take a client with a self-developed proprietary system for time tracking, for example. When we plug their Enterprise Relationship Program into our API, it sends everything needed for a project or a job and updates all 32 necessary fields automatically. That allows us to forego bulk uploads and manual data entry with absolutely zero human involvement required in the middle.

Sound good? Contact us here or reach out to your Client Relationship Manager to get started. 

Doubled our team 

We really like solid software, but it’s still good people who make our world go around. We doubled our team in 2019 so that each Client Relationship Manager (CRM) can continue to offer the same quality of service to each of our clients even as we grow. We’ve also transitioned Michelle (our longest-standing CRM) into a new role that allows her to maximize her many years of knowledge and client experience. She’ll now be using all of her experience to directly channel the voice of the customer to the team as we continue developing the solutions. 

Okay, so what’s ahead? 

You guessed it: Software updates

Now that you’re as in love with them as we are, we can tell you we’re focusing on improving operational efficiencies with PayReel Online, our dashboard, and with our Sick Leave Accrual Management application (SLAM). More states have added sick leave and FMLA compliance regulations into law. We enhanced our proprietary tool to manage the rapid changes to the paid sick leave (PSL) laws and all their many new complexities being implemented on both the state and local levels. That’s good news for you because you can rest assured we are staying up to speed with where the laws go into effect in 2020. 

The visibility reports you asked for! 

It’s true. We saved the best for last. You asked for more reports to give you insight into your backend payroll information and we listened! Soon, supervisors and managers will have better visibility to see where workers are in the process. We’re also working on a report writer that can put together the specific info you’re looking for.

Thanks for a great year! Get excited because 2020 is shaping up to be even better! 

 

The post 3 ways we’re improving the client experience appeared first on PayReel .

To view our Partner blog, click here

Trinity Broadcast Network Turns to DigitalGlue for Major Infrastructure Upgrade

CMMA Blog

January 31, 2020 – Tustin, CA – Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world’s largest Christian television broadcast group with 32 international networks reaching every major continent, recently contracted DigitalGlue  – a leading equipment, integration, and software development provider – for the upgrade of its production and broadcast infrastructure at their Tustin, California world headquarters.

“The DigitalGlue engineering team
embarked on an in-depth review of the existing facility infrastructure, helped
define current and future channel requirements and enhancements while also simplifying overall signal-flow. With
this information, DigitalGlue, then conducted a search of suitable vendors
before presenting our recommendations to senior Trinity management for their
final evaluation and decision,” said Sean
Busby, DigitalGlue President. The core
component to this upgrade is the production and broadcast routers. After
analyzing multiple vendor options, Trinity/DigitalGlue chose Utah Scientific based
on product quality and their outstanding 10-year warranty and support, which provided the
best system and value offering Trinity the lowest total cost of ownership.

Some of the technical
benefits to TBN’s upgraded workflow are 3G support, MADI audio support,
integrated audio embedding, and de-embedding within the router. The new planned
signal flow and configuration will improve the Network’s overall operational
efficiency. Other manufacturers used for the new infrastructure build-out are Cobalt
distribution amplifiers for monitoring feeds, Bittree patchbays, Blackmagic
Design fiber cards for tie-lines between the Production and Master control
router locations. The new infrastructure upgrade will be completed Q2 of
2020. 

To view our Partner blog, click here

Rollerblades, Grocery Carts, and Ransomware

Archive Storage

Even if you haven’t been bitten by ransomware, I bet you know someone who has.  It’s an increasing problem for organizations as well.  Thankfully more and more are waking up to the fact that the best defense is a copy of data that’s “air-gapped” – not attached to any network.  One of the most cost-effective and safest ways to create an air-gapped copy of data is to put it on tape in a vault.

The great thing about a tape on a shelf in a secure location is there is absolutely no way that it can be accessed by a remote attacker.  But that doesn’t mean this method is necessarily easy or perfect.

Let me tell you a story.

Back in the early aughts, I was a pre-sales engineer for a little tape company called Advanced Digital Information Corp – ADIC – who later merged with Quantum.  I went to visit a company that had called us because their backups were suffering.  They could back data up, mostly, but had lots of media problems.  The problems extended to restores too, which was really bad.  In short, their system was unreliable, and they were desperate.

As we walked to the conference room, we passed a glass wall looking into the data center.  What I saw through that window froze me in my tracks.  This was a good-sized data center, with a few dozen rows of racks.  Each server – had to be hundreds of them – had its own DLT tape drive for nightly backups.  But it wasn’t just the fact that these guys hadn’t heard of automated tape libraries that horrified me.

There was an operator, wearing rollerblades, hurriedly pushing a wire grocery cart down the aisles.  He’d stop at each rack, yank the eject handle on every tape drive, grab the tapes (sometimes dropping them), and throw them into the grocery cart.  Sometimes he’d miss, and a tape would bounce off the cart and land on the floor.

I bet you can guess why the backups were unreliable.  Data tapes are reasonably tough, but they are precision mechanical devices.  If you toss them around like your Dad’s Led Zeppelin cassettes, you will have problems.  I did some education that day, and they eventually bought a robotic tape library from us.  Their backups reverted to the normal level of unreliability that we all experienced with DLT, and the operator got to retire his rollerblades.  Everyone was happy.

The point of this story is that the biggest problem with vaulting tapes is humans.  Humans lose tapes, misfile tapes, drop tapes, and just generally cause problems.  Humans are also expensive and paying them to shuffle boxes of tapes from one place to another is a waste.  You can pay for more slots and leave all your tapes in a robotic tape library, but then they aren’t offline, so they are exposed to ransomware risk.

Or are they?

Quantum has uniquely solved this problem in our Scalar tape libraries , with an optional feature called Active Vault.  Active Vault creates a secure, in-library vault for tapes using unlicensed slots.  It uses a dedicated partition in the library that has no tape drives and is totally isolated from external applications.  With Active Vault, when tapes are exported the robot moves them into the Active Vault partition, instead of the import/export door.  For the application to access them again, an operator must first log into the library remote GUI and move the tapes back from the Active Vault partition into the application partition.  But he doesn’t have to leave his chair.

But wait, there’s more…

Next to those pesky humans, use and time are the next biggest enemies of tape media.  With enough use and time tapes wear out.  This is something you don’t want to learn when you suddenly can’t read one.  In the Scalar i6 and i6000 libraries, you can have tapes in the Active Vault scanned periodically to ensure they are readable, and you will be alerted if one is getting sketchy before you lose data.  Try that with tapes on a dusty closet shelf!

Be nice to your tapes and they will be nice to you.  Let the robot handle them, and use Active Vault to lock a copy of your data away where ransomware can’t find it.

To view our Partner blog, click here

Meet your client relationship manager: Michael Harder

CMMA Blog

Like all of our Client Relationship Managers (CRMs), Michael is here for you.

MICHAEL HARDER: Client Relationship Manager

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Whether that’s relocating to Colorado before finding a job, revamping payroll tracking from a thousand separate sheets into one big master spreadsheet, or brewing his own beer, Michael is going to figure out how to do it. Day to day, he manages onboarding new hires, processing payroll, and invoicing. All while keeping a notoriously spotless desk, to boot.

On the evenings and weekends, things might get a little messy in his pursuit of the perfect homemade pasta noodle or smoked meat. You’ll have to go somewhere else for your favorite baked goods though. Looking for Michael? You’ll often find him outdoors —snowboarding in the winter or camping and hiking in the summer.

Something else: As a certified bbq judge through the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS), Micheal’s stamp of approval at your next neighborhood bbq carries a little extra weight.

Looking for some help with your independent contractor payroll management?

Connect with Michael or any of the CRMs here . Their name is true: They’re here for you!

The post Meet your client relationship manager: Michael Harder appeared first on PayReel .

To view our Partner blog, click here

Working on your marketing plan? Don’t fall for this common myth!

CMMA Blog

We’re all about tackling obstacles that get in the way of your success. Turns out there’s a persistent, pernicious myth out there that might be hindering you without you even knowing it. But before we get to that, a story:

I recently visited the website of a product I had heard great things about it and was really excited to try. It was a 6-month commitment and I wanted to make sure I was making a sound investment. I clicked on their videos to learn more about their services. I am so glad I did.

They. were. terrible.

Scary terrible. Scary like: Is this a scam? How could a company with a good reputation not be able to afford a decent 3-minute video? I skipped the purchase and I had to wonder how many other potential customers were lost over that no good, very bad video.

Video technology is quickly advancing and it plays a major role in acquiring and maintaining a client base, but it has to be done well.

Here are three strategies to incorporate into your video marketing plan to stay on trend and attract new clients in 2020

Personalized Videos

Personalized videos (PVs) aren’t new, but they are predicted to really take off in 2020. Customers are looking for engagement. They want to know who the company is they are doing business with and they want to feel known in return. Personalized videos are an excellent and creative way to help your customers feel seen, understood and important to your business. There is something special about seeing your name, photos or interests reflected in a video. Barclays—a client of our sister company, Crew Connection —produced a PV that manages to transform something as complicated and impersonal as lending services. They create a feeling of trust, engagement and true connection. How can you share the same feeling and personalize your next video?

Instagram Stories

Social Media is THE WAY to attract / interact with clients and maintain their loyalty. And now it’s easier than ever to engage users through do-it-yourself, simple Instagram stories. This doesn’t require hiring a crew, complicated post-production or rehearsed performances. With a phone and a message they care about, you can entertain, inform and captivate users in seconds. Stories also provide that personalized connection this generation of consumers is craving. They get to learn more about you while also being offered the immediate opportunity to contribute feedback through emojis and comments.

For a more detailed look at expanding your brand through Instagram Stories, check out this great marketing article by Neil Patel.

Long-Form Videos (ready to bust that myth?)

For years, we have been hearing that the attention span of the human race has dwindled down to mere seconds. We’ve been told our videos need to be thirty seconds or three minutes… tops. I’ve always found this to be a little insulting, but it was the (very persistent) word on the street and I went with it. However, study after study is busting that myth . Turns out human beings are not only capable of watching longer videos, but that they can actually be really interested in that video… if the video is interesting. That, of course, is the key.

Long-form videos are an opportunity to tell a story and take potential customers on a journey where they sense the purpose of your brand and feel something. Feel connected to people, a greater cause, nature, themselves… you.

This is where you really need a professional crew. This is when you need the DP who can execute powerful and cinematic shots, the soundtrack that inspires, the editor who understands the emotional impact of a perfect cut and the producer who can put it all together. This is where you want to put your money, so budget appropriately.

Senior Digital PR Executive at Click Consult, Daniel Sarath, said, “The rise of long-form video content is one of the key changes we expect to see in 2020” and he believes this beautifully shot and well-executed video by Patagonia is the long-form video to aspire to.

Good luck and welcome to 2020!

Post by Dani Lyman

ABOUT PAYREEL:

Looking for payroll options for your independent contractors and freelancers? You can depend on PayReel to assume all of the risks that are associated with worker classification because we make sure every worker gets paid quickly and easily. We even have Client Relationship Managers on call around the clock to answer your questions . Call us today 303-526-4900 or email us. We handle payroll solutions for video production, live events, media, and entertainment.

The post Working on your marketing plan? Don’t fall for this common myth! appeared first on PayReel .

To view our Partner blog, click here

Tape Storage – a Proactive Layer of Protection Against Ransomware

Archive

As we close out another year, cyberattacks like ransomware continue to be top of mind for many organizations. We expect it to be top of mind in 2020 and beyond as organizations make investments in the latest technology. With all the energy and spend going towards new technology and cybersecurity efforts, I can’t help but wonder what continues to give these cyber adversaries the upper hand? I’d be naïve to say that profit isn’t a huge motivator because there is a straight line from development to profit. It is a well-known fact that these intrusions are expected to yield more than just profits when they cripple your systems, they seek to yield the grand prize – your company secrets, your data is the currency of choice. An article published by Tech Republic states, “Cybercriminals are searching for higher returns on their investment, and they can reap serious benefits from ransoming organizations over individuals, who might yield, at best, a few personal files that could be used for extortion or identity theft.”

A backup strategy is important to overall protection

Backups are a critical component to your overall protection strategy. Is all your critical information being backed up. Is it being stored offline? Has the backup strategy implemented been tested to ensure it works? The FBI has recommendations for ransomware preventions and responses fo r CEOs. It is not a surprise to see that the first answer to the question of ho w to protect your network was Backups.

Tape storage: Your last line of defense

We have learned that ransomware seeks and attacks known vulnerabilities in the
network, where data on servers, storage, and everything else connected to it
will most likely be compromised. For your data to be truly protected, we recommend
an offline or airgap copy in your backup strategy that works in conjunction
with your security software, hard disk drives (HDD), and cloud storage.

Because tape storage is an ‘offline’ storage technology, it provides
effective protection against ransomware and malware. Tape is your last line of
defense—simply because criminals can’t delete or encrypt what they can’t access
over the network. To fully protect your data against ransomware, prevent the
infection in the first place, and then perform regular backups, replicating
data to off-site and offline media such as tape.

Tape offers high-speed restore rates

Not only is tape storage cost-effective, but it offers high-speed restore rates, currently with LTO-8 generation it has an up to 750MBps transfer rate. That makes it ideal for both storing large volumes of data over the long term, as well as protecting your assets. Although replication technologies can provide faster restores, let’s remember they do not protect from ransomware.

Make tape part of your backup and DR strategy

Given the prevalence of ransomware attacks, you need a strategy for
defending your files against these debilitating events. We’ve seen state and
local governments, educational institutions, and private enterprises rendered
helpless in their ability to continue their day-to-day business after an attack.
Start with a proper data protection strategy.

Understanding what part of your data is critical to your operations is the
first step to ensure that a backup copy is readily available on magnetic tape. Keeping
a disconnected offline copy of your data is important to your data recovery
(DR) plan because tape storage provides the best offline option, is
inexpensive, portable—and offline.

When ransomware hits, you want to be proactive, prepared, and in the
position to stand up against ransomware threats. Let’s stop giving them the
upper hand and may this 2020 be uncompromising and ransomware-free.

To view our Partner blog, click here