It is no news that technology is evolving and there is an influx of innovative technologies heralding the advancement of the digital age. In response to this, the global industrial landscape is fast integrating the power of modern technology into their operations — thus setting the pace for rapid expansion and fierce.

As a result, there is a highlighted need for the adoption of automated tools in businesses and organizations to stay in the race. In this piece, we examine the various aspects where the application of automated tools like submission management software can be effective.

7 areas where technology can simplify submission management

As an organization expands and turns to an electronic form of document management systems, there is an increasing need to streamline the process of collection, tracking, and management of electronic submissions.

Using a submission management software eases out the process of managing high volumes of data. Here, we explore some of the key applications of technology to submission management and their benefits:

1. Human resources management
2. Asset tracking and monitoring
3. Course management
4. Web design and analytics
5. Event and competition management
6. Grants management
7. Software and development

1. Human resources management

The human resources department is important for every organization. They play a large role in providing and managing some of the top-range resources needed for effective productivity.

Providing the bedrock for companies by delivering services ranging from hiring, training and retaining skilled labour to managing and tracking volumes of data and company resources, it is evident that the place of human resources within an organization is vital to its growth process.

Using the traditional system of management, in this case, can be very challenging especially as the organization grows. Having to sort through existing talent pools (i.e. compilations of resumes submitted) for the right personnel with the perfect skillset to choose or tracking various applications can be daunting.

Thus, using an application submission software program allows the streamlining of this process. Through the various integrated features such as organization and classification, volumes of data are analyzed at a faster rate.

2. Asset tracking and monitoring

Property management is another sensitive area that needs careful evaluation and control. This is particularly an area that involves documentation and contractual agreements, which entails the proper monitoring to avoid conflicts and losses.

This aspect is often characterized by remoteness and the need for mobility which comes from tracking assets in various locations. This is subsequently outlined by the need to process volumes of information and online document submissions which can be difficult.

For instance, having to coordinate various applications for rentals, leases and bookings in various locations can be tasking especially in a short period of time. A submission management system comes in handy by automating the system and acting as a virtual assistant in this variation.

Technology has advanced that contractual agreements and documentation of clients’ information can be automated through forms automation or smart contracts. These methods enable transparency in transactions and communication.

A submission management system ensures that assets are easily managed through the organization of relevant data for easy retrieval, timely reminders of all events and control over who has access to the documents.

3. Course management

Technological evolution has advanced the development of a virtual learning environment where educational technology is applied to various aspects of courses of study within and without educational institutions.

With content management, communication and administration as some of the crucial aspects of the typical virtual learning environment, it is paramount to employ automated tools to optimize processes. Using a submission management system allows users to track, store and manage access to the various resources available for educational delivery.

This system is characterized by various submissions which encompass high levels of data for analysis. Organizing this form of information and tracking submissions is crucial. Hence, applying automation to this aspect allows these an online submission application to validate submissions and organize data for easy access and referencing whenever the need arises.

4. Web design and analytics

One of the major distinguishing features of design companies is the metrics and layers of analysis involved. Web design companies are especially characterized by various moving parts. There is also a high demand for collaborative efforts. Developers, designers, customer relations representative and a host of others need to sync their efforts to be creative.

This means the interoperability of various automated systems to create unique, market-friendly contents are better managed by centralizing various forms of information put on the table by these parties.

This is exactly the place of SaaS within an organization. A good submission management software acts as SaaS for web design companies by streamlining all data and giving real-time updates on the work progress.

5. Awards and competition management

Running and planning an awards event can be nightmarish if not properly handled. It involves a lot of details and even the minutest of them can shape your event. In this case, having a clear goal of what you want, determining the event’s theme and getting the word out might just not be enough to handle the level of information you’ll have to analyze.

According to a 2019 event statistics, 81% of event managers agree that people skills and organization are the essential skills every event professional need. About 75% also agreed that time management, flexibility and passion were important skills.

Thus, using an automated solution like an application submission software program helps you to maximize your time and efforts. With this software, you could create an automation application form that allows you to gain information on what you need for the event and streamline your process.

In the cases of managing a competition or promotional feature for your organization, gaining sufficient insights on the competitors and applicants qualifications and eligibility for the prize is important.

Through using the process of submission management, you can create and analyze automated forms from a myriad of applicants and manage them all in one place.

6. Grants management

Foundations are mostly forced to deal with tons of applications and processing due to the nature of their missions. Also, in most cases, grant-seeking companies are not equipped with skilled labour and time to go through the arduous application process.

Hence, the need for digital solutions to streamline applications process is very important. A submission management solution improves grant practices by simplifying applications processes by breaking down applications into multiple phases for ease of analysis and transparency.

7. Software and development

Every software company understands the place of patents in the expansion of their business. Patenting involves a lot of details and moving factors which shifts with every location that could be time-consuming. Thus, one of the tools needed today for software companies is a submission management system.

This system helps companies with contingency planning, simplifying the entire process of applying for patents and organizes their work data to meet up with compliances requirements. Software companies are also associated with the legalities of licensing and collaborative efforts.

Liaising with an external automated tool like submission management software allows them to increase their productivity and classify all data required for their workflow.

Why is submission management software important?

There is a paradigm shift in global industrial. It highlights the need for the adoption of modern technological solutions to simplify traditional systems of operations. Having an automated tool like a submission management software gives companies the ability to cut back on production hours and assume improved productivity trends.

Thus, by using a submission management software, companies and organizations all across the globe get to modernize their workflow, track their progress, analyze their lags and make adjustments to improve their overall work efficiency.

Originally published at https://submit.com on August 7, 2019.

7 examples where technology can simplify submission management was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Submit.com is an incredibly versatile online submission system with tons of different question types. We’ve got multiple-choice, file upload and even digital signature.

However, probably the least understood question type is our pre-recorded video questions or VideoQ. Applicants self-record video answers to your pre-set questions on your form.

VideoQ allows you to meet the real person behind the application. It transforms your decision-making process while also helping to connect in a personal way with candidates.

So, here are three benefits to using pre-recorded video questions:

1. It’s a different way to determine the right candidate
2. It encourages applicant engagement with the process
3. Your evaluation process is further streamlined.

A different way to determine the right candidate

In traditional application processes, all you have to go is the words on a page or screen. Sometimes this can result in applicants failing to meet the expectations the application raised. Ultimately forcing you to go back to well in the hopes of finding a better applicant.

However, with VideoQ, you connect with the person applying and make an accurate assessment of their suitability. Instead of being impressed with a nice sentence, you’ll be impressed with their delivery.

The entire application will form how you evaluate applicants, but VideoQ will give you an extra edge when deciding between several qualified candidates. It could be the difference in picking a good applicant and a great one.

It encourages applicant engagement with the process

Presenting video interview questions as part of your online submission process will give applicants more opportunity to reinforce their application. A chance to say why they’re pitching for your grant or want to win your award.

At the end of the process, they can proudly state that they gave their application their all. This new level of engagement will significantly contribute to a positive journey for the candidate.

And, if they’re unsuccessful this time around, but they were still a good candidate, it’s highly likely they’ll apply again in future thanks to this positive experience.

Your evaluation process is further streamlined

Your team will save so much time with VideoQ. Suddenly, you’ll glean insights you wouldn’t usually get from words alone. You’ll get a real feel for them and only select the best for your grant, award or scholarship.

Finally, you benefit from increased collaboration on your team. It’s much easier to ask for a glance at a 30-second video than it is to skim through a two-page document. Ultimately resulting in generating multiple opinions on candidates, which helps to make fairer and more diverse decisions.

VideoQ currently enables our clients to better screen candidates. We’ve seen it used by clients dealing in grant applications, award entries, academic submissions, and even TV talent casting.

It provides useful insights that can’t be gleaned from words on a screen alone, and your applicants suddenly have a way to stand apart from the crowd — a chance to demonstrate their creativity or personalise their motivations behind applying.

You can even allow them to practice or have more than one take. Bear in mind, not everyone is Meryl Streep!

Discover how you can implement VideoQ as part of your online submission process today:

Originally published at https://submit.com on July 23, 2019.

Pre-recorded video questions, why should you use them? was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The entire Submit.com team is delighted with everything we’ve accomplished in the past year, and this recognition is another sign of the incredible progress we’ve made.

Submit.com has earned two prestigious awards from FinancesOnline, a popular B2B software review platform. The 2019 Premium Usability award and the 2019 Rising Star award.

These awards are presented annually to SaaS products which offer exceptional B2B solutions across several categories, including the submission management industry leaders.

2019 Premium Usability award

The Premium Usability certificate is awarded to products that offer outstanding usability. The award is based on how intuitive the product is to use, the quality of its design and whether its features enhance workflows.

2019 Rising Star award

The Rising Star certificate is given to products whose popularity has blossomed recently, is building solid, lasting relationships with customers and is deemed a SaaS product excelling at solving problems for users worldwide.

These awards prove once again why Submit.com is the best way to collect, manage and evaluate all types of submissions and applications.

Please visit FinancesOnline.com to post your review of Submit.com

Originally published at https://submit.com on May 30, 2019.

Submit.com wins 2019 Premium Usability and Rising Star awards from FinancesOnline was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What a whirlwind 12 months for the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). May 25th, 2018, resulted in probably the most dramatic change in data privacy laws in 20 years. It has fundamentally changed how data holding processing in every industry, from legal services to advertising and everything in between.

In the modern data-driven world, the EU moved to protect every EU citizen from privacy and data breaches. Let’s explore how GDPR has impacted organisations over the last 12 months:

• Worldwide jurisdiction
• Potential of damaging fines and penalties
• Clear conditions for consent
• No delay notifying of data breaches
• Personal data access
• Right to erase personal data
• Ability to reuse personal data
• Built-in privacy from the outset
• Appointment of Data Protection Officers

Worldwide jurisdiction

The most notable change is GDPR’s extended jurisdiction. Regardless of location, any organisation that processes the personal data of EU residents. Before May 25th, 2018, unclear regulations muddied the waters allowing its citation in several high-profile legal cases.

Now there is no ambiguity. GDPR applies to the processing of personal data by controllers and processors in or outside the EU, regardless of whether the processing takes place in the EU or not.

Non-EU businesses processing the data of EU citizens must also appoint a representative in the EU.

Potential of damaging fines and penalties

Breaches of GDPR can result in severe penalties. Fines will be imposed based on the gravity of infraction rather than separate fines for each provision penalized. Unfortunately, this is less comforting when you consider the number of fines possible.

The maximum organizations can be fined either up to €20 Million or 4% of worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher. This is the upper echelon of GDPR fines reserved for the more serious breaches. The lower level includes fines of up to €10 Million or 2% of worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher.

AggregateIQ, a Canadian analytics firm that worked for Vote Leave campaign was the first organisation hit with a ‘significant’ GDPR notice. They were accused of processing people’s data “for purposes which they would not have expected”. Should the firm fail in their appeal, they are likely to be hit with a big fine.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Google was fined €50 million by France’s data protection regulator, CNIL. The biggest fine imposed so far. The CNIL said Google’s data consent policies aren’t easily accessible or transparent and the search engine giant is yet to rectify the issues.

Clear conditions for consent

GDPR has rendered long-winded terms and conditions not only inert but also illegal. A clear and accessible form is required to request consent, with the purpose for data processing attached to that consent. Clear and understandable language is an absolute must.

PrivacyPolicies.com outline the five must-have elements of consent under GDPR, it must be:

• Freely given — the person must not be pressured into giving consent or suffer any detriment if they refuse.
• Specific — the person must be asked to consent to individual types of data processing.
• Informed — the person must be told what they’re consenting to.
• Unambiguous — language must be clear and simple.
• Clear affirmative action — the person must expressly consent by doing or saying something.

Should any of the above be missing, consent is granted under GDPR.

No delay notifying of data breaches

With GDPR, people must be notified of data breaches where it is likely to “result in a risk for the rights and freedoms of individuals”. This is true for both data processors and controllers. Either way, notifications must be sent within 72 hours of the breach.

These data security breaches are becoming all too frequent. In the last year alone, Facebook and WhatsApp have suffered. Facebook is likely fined up to $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission for privacy violations.

Personal data access

Another dramatic change GDPR brought is the empowerment of people. They now have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning them is being processed, where and for what purpose.

An electronic copy of personal data must be provided entirely free of charge. This request must be granted within 40 days.

Right to erase personal data

GDPR introduced Data Erasure or the right to be forgotten. People can now request to have their data erased by data controllers. Once requested. they must cease continued circulation of data and stop any third parties from processing this data.

Article 17 of GDPR outlines the conditions for erasure. This includes a person withdrawing their consent or data no longer being relevant to original purposes for processing. However, in this instance, controllers have the right to compare a person’ rights with “the public interest in the availability of the data” when considering such requests.

With Submit.com, this can be achieved with our privacy dashboard. Here you can manage your data including deleting any client information using our intuitive search features and updating any of your policies.

Ability to reuse personal data

GDPR has brought data portability as an option for EU citizens. In essence, this is the right of a person to transmit their personal data from one controller to another with minimum fuss.

This is as long as the data was provided in a ‘commonly use and machine-readable format’.

Built-in privacy from the outset

Ensuring privacy is a core part of your system is no longer ‘a nice to have’ but an absolute must. Data protection can no longer be an extra addition to systems but must be included from the initial design stage. Or in other words:

‘The controller shall… implement appropriate technical and organisational measures… in an effective way… in order to meet the requirements of this Regulation and protect the rights of data subjects’.

Data controllers must also limit access to personal data only to those carrying out the data processing. They also must minimise the data they hold and process to the required amount to complete their work.

Appointment of Data Protection Officers

Under GDPR, organisations are required to keep meticulous internal records. Organisations whose core activities consist of processing operations which require regular and systematic monitoring of people’s data on a large scale are required to appoint a Data Protection Officer.

It is vital the Data Protection Officer (whether a staff member or external service provider):

• Appointment based on professional qualities and, in particular, expert knowledge on data protection law and practices
• Contact details provided to the relevant DPA
• Appropriate resources provided to carry out their tasks and maintain their expert knowledge
• Must report directly to the highest level of management
• Cannot carry out any other tasks that could result in a conflict of interest.​

So if you know your organisation’s submissions totally adhere to these to these regulations, congratulations! If you’re unsure or worse you know your submissions aren’t compliant, you should start researching a secure online submission management system immediately. We’re not kidding.

Luckily, Submit.com is a fully GDPR compliant submission management system. We spent six months consulting with data protection specialists building additional layers of security and transparency into our system. In addition, we made changes to our forms to make sure all the information gathered is compliant with GDPR.

Are you running an awards program? Check out the essential features of awards management software.

Maybe your granting funding to worthy organisations? See why you should move your grant management process online

You might even be looking cast talent for your TV show. Click to see ask of a potential TV talent casting software solution.

If you want to ensure your submissions are fully compliant speak to a senior solution specialist today. They’ll guide you through the process of switching to the best way to accept, review and manage online submissions.

Originally published at https://submit.com on May 24, 2019.

Happy birthday, GDPR! Is your submission data GDPR compliant? was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

You might think those free online form builders are working for your awards programs. Sure, you might be collecting applications simply enough. But, if you need to do anything complicated with that information? Good luck!

Are you demonstrating the very best of your awards to candidates? Does the page feel outdated? Are entrants constantly emailing asking to amend or supplement applications? Do you even know if your entry numbers are declining? If you’re using a free online form builder, we’re willing to bet you’re answering negatively to all these questions. And if you’re still using a labour intensive paper-based system, do you want to be in this position in two years?

The only good thing about those online form builders is just that. They’re free. A quick fix. An easy solution. Yet, it never really works out that way. Your team ends up working harder to make up for the aspects it isn’t solving. Suddenly, you’re using seven tools to collect, manage, communicate and review when one will do. A dedicated awards management system like Submit.com.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but the major problems with free online form builders include:

• Limited branding opportunities
• Unsophisticated question types
• Entrants unable to edit a submission
• Difficulty uploading supplementary files
• No idea how many applicants attempted to submit
• Totally unconnected from the review process
• Nowhere to turn if something goes wrong

Limited branding opportunities

We appreciate the power of branding. A brand isn’t just a company’s name. It’s the entirety of a consumer’s experiences with a recognisable product-and it is powerful. Harm to your brand is difficult to undo. If you look cheap, entrants and industry leaders will think of you as inferior. Thus, will they even want to win your award?

Most online form builders give you the option of a couple of primary or secondary colours. Hell, if you’re lucky, you might even get to upload a background image! With Submit.com you get a fully customizable interface of which you retain complete control. Send applicants to a fully branded portal on a dedicated branded domain. Even leverage the power of digital marketing using our built-in link shortener. Doing this generates both a shortened link and custom QR code.

Unsophisticated question types

You need the right information to evaluate your applicants effectively. Most online form builders will offer only basic question types. For example, take Google Forms. They’re a pretty popular free survey administration app. You literally only have nine questions to work with. Is that comprehensive enough?

With free online form builders, you’re up the proverbial creek. On the other hand, with awards management systems like Submit.com, you have the power to input a host of questions to find the best answers.

There are over 30 different questions types to choose from including in-app recorded video interviews. But don’t worry! You don’t have a coding master or web design wizard to construct beautiful and mobile responsive awards application forms. Select what suits you and modify until you’re happy

An efficient but often underused aspect of our awards application form builder is branch logic. This creates a custom path through the form which that varies based on an applicant’s answers.

For example, imagine asking candidates for their favourite colour. You insert a multiple choice question with red, blue, green and purple. Online form builders stop working here. But, with Submit.com you can delve deeper.

Ask additional questions, like why did you choose red? Or why didn’t you select blue? The endless possibilities of this tool can powerfully alter how you collect information.

Difficulty uploading supplementary files

We’ve all been there. You’re nearing the end of a marathon long application form. You just need to upload one file, and that’s it. Finally! However, it can only accept some weird looking file format. You have it as a Word Doc, surely that should suffice?

With online form builders, it’s rarely simple. Entrants are limited as to what files they can upload, how many and the file size. Right from the off you’re putting them on the back foot.

Luckily, awards management systems like Submit.com have made it super easy to accept the classic file upload formats. PDF, PNG, MP4. We do it all. If that wasn’t enough, Submit.com also seamlessly integrates with major cloud services like Dropbox, SoundCloud, YouTube and Vimeo.

Entrants unable to amend their submission

Most people suffer from lack-of-hours-in-the-day syndrome. You’ve probably also aware of this affliction. It’s going around.

So, put yourself in your entrant’s shoes. They come home after a long day, make their dinner, plonk down on the couch ready to turn their brain off when they remember. All of a sudden it comes into their head. They wanted to submit their application for that award program. On their computer, they go to open that link and crash, bang, wallop! They’re required to submit answers in seven sections, 12 questions per page and upload five documents.

Your submission rate is going to take a hit if you expect entrants to do that all at once. Why aren’t you giving them the time and space to refine their award-winning submission? Unless your entrants can break the submission process up over time, they’re likely to put off applying or forget to apply entirely.

What if they make a mistake? Most free online form builders don’t allow entrants to go back and edit. Mistakes happen, and you want to account for human errors, technical errors or the cat falling asleep on the keyboard.

It’ll be near impossible for entrants to find the resilience to redo a submission from scratch. Especially if it’s a drawn-out process with subsections upon subsections.

With an awards management system like Submit.com, entrants can save their progress through an application. These drafts live on the app and are available to edit anytime the entrant finds the time. You can even set up email notifications when entrants save a draft. You’ll always have the complete picture of your collection process.

No idea how many applicants attempted to submit

With those online form builders, you only know the number of people who submitted an application. There’s no indication of how many candidates abandoned an application mid-way through. An element of your application form could be hurting your entrant numbers. But the worst part is you have no idea what part is doing the damage.

However, with an online awards management system like Submit.com, you always know how many applications are in progress or completed. If you need to nudge a lagging candidate to finish their application, you can trigger task completion reminder emails.

Are you struggling to keep candidates engaged through a lengthy submission process? Submit.com clients have found joy in applying a multiphase approach. They can automatically invite applicants to the next phase of their award submission with a simple auto-generated welcome to the next phase email.

Totally unconnected from the review process

As we’ve mentioned, the one-dimensional nature of free online form builders can give your organisation a brutal sting. The truth is most online form builders only care about collecting information. That’s the easy part. Management and review, as you know is where things get tricky.

When you switch to an awards management system like Submit.com you benefit from:

Nowhere to turn if something goes wrong

When something goes wrong. Your brain goes to panic stations. The issue needs solving immediately. Unfortunately, those online form builders won’t care about your issue. If you’re lucky there might be an answer on some long forgotten forum. Is it really a good idea to spend half your morning trawling through Google search results? Can you imagine if the folks on the Titanic did that?

Resolving any issues should be quick and efficient, whether they are small or significant. With an awards management system like Submit.com, you enjoy an outstanding level of customer support. Our dedicated Customer Success team closely work with our development team. So troubleshooting and resolving any problems happen in a flash.

If that’s not enough. Our Help Centre is already brimming with 28 in-depth articles. These advice articles cover everything. Do you want to know how to manage your team’s roles? We’ve got you covered. No idea how to use our popular tagging feature? There’s an explainer for that too.

We bet all that sounds like a weight off your shoulders. Right?

A dedicated awards management system like Submit.com will save you so much time, money and labour. We guarantee after one cycle of using our software, and you won’t want ever to go back to those free tools.

So, are you ready to ditch those free online form builders? If you’re unsure of what features you need an awards management system to have, click here.

Do you want to know what feels like to have submissions managed from every angle? Contact one of our senior solution specialists who will guide you through the transition to the best way to accept, review and manage online awards submissions.

Originally published at https://submit.com on May 2, 2019.

The problem with free online form builders was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

No matter what type of application you’re receiving, you’ve more than likely come across a fair share of ill-suited candidates. We see it for managers of grants, awards, scholarships, internships and even TV talent casting.

For some of our clients, this can be a relatively harmless annoyance. A client recently told us about a recruitment application they received with our software that boasted five years of accounting experience. Fabulous, for an accountancy firm. Not so much for tree surgeons.

For others, it was a hassle to manage. A fund seeking grant applications from SMEs with less than ten employees received heaps of applications. Unfortunately, they were from organisations not meeting the minimum requirements. This results in complaints from candidates who pointlessly filled out a detailed form and administrative staff wasting time manually sorting through these.

Clients often tell us a block for them going online with their submissions is the fear that unqualified applicants will increase as a result. This is a fair point.

After all with Submit.com, candidates can submit applications from anywhere on any device. In response, here are three sure-fire tips to decrease the number of unqualified applications you receive using Submit.com are:

• Add a pre-screen phase to your applications
• Automatically score applications
• Automatically send rejection emails

Add a pre-screen phase to your applications

We’re firm believers in the power of multiphase submissions. We consistently see how clients have kept applicants engaged through lengthy submission processes using this approach. However, you can also use it to determine the eligibility of candidates.

Do you only have an interest in candidates from a particular location? With certain qualifications? Do you want to test their expertise or unearth their values? Using an initial screening phase will filter applicants as they submit. Applications which fail to meet these criteria aren’t deleted. They’re archived. Lying under the surface. Out of sight. You’ll always have access.

Ensure you keep this first phase short and sweet. You’re not looking for complexity so avoid using essay-style questions. Anything you need to review will slow you down. Remember to keep it quantitative, not subjective.

Your desired applicants aren’t negatively affected by this process. If their eligible they’ll automatically be invited to the next stage.

Autoscore applications

Some questions are more important than others. A certain amount of supplementary information is needed. Yet, when push comes to shove you know which answers mean more.

For example, maybe you’re looking for new hire but would prefer highly educated candidates. You apply a higher score to those who have a master’s degree over say a bachelor’s degree. This is a powerful way to decrease unqualified applications.

With Submit.com, you can weight particular questions in terms of importance by applying autoscoring. Generate scores or points of qualitative values for specific answers. By ranking candidates based on answers to specific questions, you can quickly pre evaluate submissions.

Automatically send rejection emails

No one likes rejection, but it’s part of the job. It’s better to make it as painless as possible. You need to thank them for their time and effort in applying but make it clear why they’re not progressing. The last thing you want to do is leave them guessing. This will open the door to more questions. You want to decrease the time dealing with unqualified applicants. Not discover more ways.

Instead of spending hours copying and pasting the same email to hundreds of applicants, automate and send at bulk. And, if you employ a multiphase submission process and autoscoring this will all happen without you doing anything (bar initial set-up). The dream!

To help you along here’s a basic candidate rejection email template. Just remember to edit the bolded words with your own information.

Candidate rejection email template:

Candidate rejection email template:

Email Subject Line: Your application to/for [Submission_name]

Dear [Applicant_name],

We really appreciate you taking the time to apply for [Submission_name]. Unfortunately, we will not be moving forward with your application this time around.

[It’s optional, but we’d recommend adding a line stating directly why they didn’t meet your requirements. Don’t write an essay. Just provide a little constructive feedback. It’ll help should they submit again in future.]

We would encourage you to apply for any future submission for which you feel qualified.

Regards,

[Your_name]

[Your_email_signature]

If you still feel you’re online application still isn’t up to par, check out these three easy ways to improve.

Do you want to learn more about streamlining your submission process? Talk to one of our senior solutions specialists today who will determine if Submit.com is the right fit for you.

Originally published at https://submit.com on April 25, 2019.

3 sure-fire tips to decrease unqualified applications | Submit.com was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

You’ve decided to run an event to celebrate your awards. Or maybe it’s been decided for you. In any case, it’s going ahead, and it’s actually closer than you think.

But where do you start? What do you need to do? This process can easily turn into a migraine of a problem if handled haphazardly. Luckily, it doesn’t need to because we have seven tips for stress-free awards event management:

• Set clear goals
• Determine what you can spend
• Select your judges carefully
• Pick a venue with event hosting experience
• Give your awards event a theme
• Get the word out
• Use awards management software

Set clear goals

What do you want to achieve with this event? Are you aware of the main objectives? Do you want to recognise excellence in your field or raise money or awareness for a worthy cause? Are you desperate to increase employee engagement?

If you’re looking for an easy excuse for a night out, you might be in trouble. Ensuring your goals are clear will make it a cinch when you’re mapping out your event specifics. It’ll also help define what success looks like for your event.

Determine what you can spend

Knowing an estimate of what everything is likely to cost from the outset should be a fundamental part of managing your awards event. There’s no point booking Béyonce to sing at your awards ceremony if all you’re going to serve is a plate of chicken nuggets and cocktail sausages.

This list is not exhaustive, but some of the essential costs you need to determine are:

• Refreshments (beer and chicken wings or champagne and caviar)
• Venue (A motel or the Ritz)
• Décor (A few banners or fireworks)
• Entertainment (Spotify or Béyonce)

Select your judges carefully

This is crucial. Picking the wrong judges could severely impact the credibility of your awards. They might be a big name in your area but does that qualify them to pass judgement. Would your local radio’s morning DJ be in the know about SAAS startups?

Can trust them to decide fairly or will certain biases arise? Do you have a back-up plan in the result of a non-unanimous decision? If not you could be setting yourself up for a hurricane-sized headache.

Pick a venue with event hosting experience

Obviously, your budget will ultimately dictate what site you should select, but, you should gear your searches towards a site that has experience hosting an awards ceremony.

The host should be able to answer all of your practicality questions without hesitation. Will everything be fine acoustically? Will any guest have an obstructed view of your stage?

As a bonus, if they have hosted awards events before they’ll also probably be able to chip in with helpful advice. Don’t forget a stress-free event also suits them.

Give your event a theme

Giving your awards event a theme can take it to the next level. Doing this can create a real buzz amongst your audience and make it really stand out. It can also simplify your choices of decoration as they all must fit within your chosen theme.

The choices are endless. You can go with a Hawaiian theme, a Gatsby-inspired 192os theme or even an outer space theme. But be careful, a theme too off the wall might alienate some of your audience. Maybe don’t go with a racing car theme for a renewable energy awards night.

Get the word out

It’s no good just having an awards ceremony. You’ve got to let people know its happening. Often the most cost-effective way to do this is through the use of organic and paid social media adverts.

Creating a dedicated hashtag for your event and ensure you’re regularly posting across your social channels will help get you noticed. On the night, you can gather your winner’s social handles and send out congratulatory posts simultaneous to their announcement.

However, don’t sleep on traditional media. Radio and print still have a part to play. Maybe your target audience would rather listen to a current affairs radio show than endlessly like pictures of Kardashians on Instagram.

Use awards management software

An awards management software like Submit.com will significantly reduce time spent on the uninteresting admin allowing you to focus your efforts on making your event the highlight of the year.

With Submit.com, you can create your application form using a multitude of different question types, collect a few or a few thousand applicants, filter to find the very best applicants and manage the entire process all in one place.

You can even send applications for judges to review entirely online. Send them a link containing only the applicants you want them to see, and they get to work on reading, commenting and scoring. You can make their life even more comfortable by adding in custom evaluation questions or building custom evaluation forms.

Not 100% sure of the features you need an awards management system to have? We ran through the essentials here.

Unfortunately, we can’t help you with the first six, but we can do a hell of a job with that last one.

If you think it’s time to streamline your awards submission process, talk to one of our senior solutions specialists today who will guide you through the process to see if Submit.com is the right fit for you.

Originally published at https://submit.com on April 18, 2019.

7 tips for stress-free awards event management was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Have you been convinced? Is it time to move to a fully featured TV talent casting software solution? Are you finally sick of wasting time, financial resources, workforce and all the other little issues with your casting process?

You might have an idea what you want that system to do but do you have the time to do your due diligence on every provider out there?

We’ll dive deep into each shortly, but the six questions you should ask of a potential TV talent casting software solution are:

• How much money will it save us?
• Will it save us time?
• Will I be able to use it?
• Can I save time and meet the candidate virtually?
• Can I build a database of talent?
• Is it GDPR compliant?

How much money will it save us?

Production budgets get thinner each year. You need to justify if a system will reduce your costs. Casting calls traditionally required a vast amount of resources and all the costs associated with same.

Consider how much you’re currently spending on a casting agency, a PO box, postage, printing, stationery, a location for auditions, refreshments, transport and all the other increments. Is it an astronomical figure? Does it have to be?

Watch as all these costs quickly dissolve with an online TV talent casting software solution like Submit.com. Our pricing plans have been carefully designed to match the needs of everyone from smaller production companies to large TV networks. We’ve managed the submission process for such renowned reality TV and talent shows as; Operation Transformation, The Voice of Ireland, Junior Eurovision and much more.

Will it save us time?

Where there’s a tight budget, there’s usually even tighter deadlines. Any system you look to improve your casting process needs to reduce the time spent on tedious administrative tasks drastically.

You no longer need to spend weeks crafting your list of potentials. Combing over their answers and making sure they’d be perfect for TV, only for an executive to dismiss five of them based on hair colour leaving you to go back to the drawing board.

With Submit.com, everything will be in one place allowing you to streamline your casting call process by eliminating a throng frustrating manual tasks by streamlining your casting call process. You can automatically pre-screen talent, send auto-reject messages, move applicants between stages, and a whole bunch more all within the app.

Will I be able to use it?

Great news! This software you’re researching will save you money and time. But is it easy to use? If the pressure was at its highest, you want even the least technical team member to feel confident using it.

Web design and coding skills are unlikely prerequisites of your role, so you need to know from the outset you can launch and manage your casting call in minutes without the expertise and expense of IT support or web developer.

Create beautiful customised mobile optimised forms with Submit.com. We have over 30 different question types with which to populate your application forms. We also accept all the classic file upload types and even integrate with Dropbox, SoundCloud, YouTube and Vimeo giving you the freedom to request whatever you need to make your decision.

Can I save time and meet the candidate virtually?

A candidate might look amazing on paper, but when they step in front of the casting agent or the camera, it quickly becomes a deer in the headlights situation. They freeze, or they’re too annoying (even for reality TV), or they’re just not right once you’re on set.

The right software for your production should incorporate the ability to set up pre-set questions for talent to record their answers. With Submit.com’s recently enhanced video interview technology, it is as simple as dropping a question into your customised application form.

Watching the uploaded videos is as simple as using YouTube. You pull the list of applications in your dashboard, click and let the outstanding talent wash over you.

Can I build a database of talent?

Sometimes you might have just one show in production. Other times, seven are airing at once. Sometimes you’re overwhelmed with talent. Other times you are not. This happens especially with newer shows as it takes a whole load more effort to find and cast talent.

Finding a single mother under 35 from Manchester or Massachusetts shouldn’t feel like a Lord of the Rings style epic quest. It should be within a few clicks of a mouse.

With Submit.com, you can keep track of all your active and past casting projects or even find talent to create new show ideas from your private database of previously used as well as untapped talent.

Take First Dates Ireland; they’ve used Submit.com’s TV casting software to build a GDPR compliant a database of thousands of single people looking for love. More than enough to sustain the series for many years to come.

Is it GDPR compliant?

You’ve determined the software will save you money, time, is super easy-to-use and powerful enough to do what you need effectively. You’re all set to sign off right? Wrong! If you have any dealings in the EU, you must be mindful of GDPR.

With Submit.com, you can relax knowing all information gathered is fully compliant with GDPR. We spent a glitteringly fun six months consulting with data protection specialists building additional layers of data protection security and transparency throughout our system. So you don’t have to!

Any TV casting software solution worth its salt should answer all these questions positively. If they don’t, it’s probably a good idea to continue shopping around.

Want to learn more about Submit.com? We are the complete Casting Agent’s toolkit, offering end-to-end online casting solution for TV, Film & Stage. Speak to one of our senior solutions specialists today and see if we can answer all your questions.

Originally published at https://submit.com on April 11, 2019.

6 questions you need to ask of a TV talent casting software was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Regardless of a fund’s grantmaking capacity, culture or history, there are likely some elements of grantmaking that are unlikely to ever go out of style. Despite digital advancements, the process of conceptualising your mission, assessing your ability to achieve this mission and ultimately deciding which organisations to support has mostly remained unchanged.

However, as the avenues with which a fund chooses to achieve its mission have grown increasingly complex. Modern grantmakers have recognised the need to adapt and use digital solutions to streamline their workflow process.

Especially as their day to day work has evolved into managing a network of public-private partnerships, social impact investing, program-related investing, crowdfunding, and many more.

Effective grantmakers:

• Make applying easy
• Use a multiphase submission process
• Manage communication between stakeholders.
• Utilise data to improve their funds

Make applying easy

Many grant-seeking organisations do not have the time or labour to go through a protracted application process. If a grantee spends $2,000 in time and energy for a $5,000 grant, that limits the effectiveness of the original intention for that particular fund.

Effective grantmakers recognise they must minimise the effort required by grantees. Online application forms must be straightforward. Allow grantseekers to prove why they deserve funding.

Submit.com has simplified this process allowing clients to not only apply at any time and from anywhere. It also lets them present supplementary information as attachments, such as videos, links, spreadsheets and documents.

Effective grantmakers find unique ways to determine the best candidates. Using Submit.com’s powerful video interview technology, they get to know the organisation behind the application.

This allows effective grantmakers to evaluate an application in a more structured manner. All the required information in one secure location on the Submit.com grant management system.

Use a multiphase submission process

Modern grantmakers know there’s no point having an organisation write up a whole proposal, gather a budget, and analyse evaluation metrics if they’re not a good fit for the funder in the first place.

To combat this, they break up application forms into multiple phases allowing their team to pre-screen applications and quickly eliminate ineligible organisations.

With Submit.com, they can create rejection template emails and trigger them automatically to organisations who fail to meet a fund’s requirements.

Multiple phases also allow the grant-seeker to send the most relevant information at each stage of the application. This keeps prospective applicants engaged throughout the process and ensures their team is never overwhelmed during proposal review.

Manage communication between stakeholders

Effective grantmakers fundamentally understand that clear communication is an essential part of the grant management process. However, this is often a lot easier said than done.

Ensuring everyone involved in the process from the non-profit seeking funding to the board of directors who make the ultimate decision know what stage the process is at any one time is no mean feat.

Grantmakers use grant management software like Submit.com to effectively communicate with all stakeholders. Remind lagging applicants to complete their applications, and their email questions responded to all within the app.

When it comes to decision makers, Submit.com presents them with a task-oriented, easy-to-use interface. They can view applications and complete their tasks anywhere from any device. They can even communicate with each other within the app and collaborate to ensure they make the best possible decision.

Utilise data to improve their funds

Transparency encourages accountability. This is especially true when it comes to data. If a grantmaker’s organisation is sharing results with peers and outsiders, it, therefore, makes sense to use software that can customise what information you share, and with whom.

Efficient grantmakers know to manage the grantmaking process internally they need to be able to evaluate incoming data and share resulting data. Identifying gaps or lags early allow grantmakers to react so effective changes can occur on current and future application forms.

Modern grantmakers use grant management software like Submit.com as a way to discover valuable data and ensure continued success for their fund.

Submit.com has spent the past ten years learning from our funding clients the requirements of successful granting processes. Our obsession is our clients’ success, so we are happy to share our experience, knowledge and expertise with you. We leverage this expertise, not by telling you what to do, but by explaining how others have tackled similar projects or achieved similar goals.

It’s unlikely you’ll show us a workflow we can’t streamline. Don’t believe us?

Check out our work updating the labour intensive legacy systems for Government bodies throughout Ireland.

Is it time to streamline your online submission process? Are you interested in more ways to modernise your current workflow? Talk to one of our senior solutions specialists today who will guide you through the process to see if Submit.com is the right fit for you

Originally published at https://submit.com on April 2, 2019.

Best practices of effective grantmakers was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As you know, running an awards program is rewarding but can be incredibly complex. Particularly at scale. There is a horde of online awards management systems out there vying for your attention. Finding the right one for your organisation can transform your awards program. Provided they have the right features.

Essentially, the software you choose must streamline the collection, management and review process. But what features should you look for?

We’ll run through each individually below, but the five essential features you need an online awards management software to have are:

• Cloud Sharing
• Autosaving Drafts
• Native Email Communication
• Secure Online Evaluation
• Custom Reporting

Cloud Sharing

At the bare minimum, awards management system should accept all the traditional file uploads. Any system you’re researching should allow you the freedom to request transcripts, documents, photos, videos or whatever in whatever file format. If a system doesn’t accept pdf, jpg, png, mov, mp4 etc., cross them immediately off your list.

Where an online awards management system reaches the next level is cloud sharing. More and more people are backing up their files online across a variety of services. It’s cost-effective, easily accessible, completely secure and in the case of a hardware meltdown, you’ll always have access to that sprawling epic you crafted detailing little Johnny’s third birthday party.

Luckily, Submit.com seamlessly integrates with all the major cloud sharing services like Dropbox, SoundCloud, YouTube and Vimeo so your applicants aren’t limited when completing their applications and can put their best foot forward. A platform without this capability is like a place claiming to be an authentic Italian Ristorante, but their only pasta option is Mac and cheese. Sure, your applicants will make do, but is it the best you can do for them?

Autosaving

Among the most frustrating little annoyances in our modern digital life are forms that aren’t happy with being filled out once. We’ve all been there. You finish the form, hit submit, the page refreshes and poof! That form is presented again with all the information blank. We can’t speak for you, but this has made some of our team turn HULK SMASH on their computer.

Autosaving should be a basic requirement of any online awards management software. In all forms for that matter. Not only will it stop a rake of computer GBH in your office, but it also removes the risk of applicants losing their work. By continually saving their work in the background, Submit.com allows applicants to take their time refining their entry ensuring you get the best possible version.

Native Email Communication

With any prospective online awards management system, you and your team should be able to update applicants and external evaluators with status notifications and task completion reminders sent via email. You don’t want to miss out on the perfect applicant because they haven’t uploaded tax form.

The ability to fire off task completion reminder emails to any lagging applicants or judges will drastically enhance your awards management process allowing your team to effectively handle everything without overloading their stress levels. With informed and happy applicants, your team won’t spend hours copying and pasting the same email over and over.

With Submit.com, you can ensure applicants stay engaged throughout the awards process with a multiphase submission process. Automatically trigger email templates to invite applicants to the next stage once they have completed a certain section.

Secure Online Evaluation

Presenting judges with a task-oriented, easy-to-use online interface should be a high priority feature on any online awards management platform you’re researching. Your judges should be allowed to make the best possible decisions quickly.

With Submit.com, there is no more posting or emailing entries to judges. All communications are kept securely within the platform which is accessible anywhere from any device. Are some applications not up to scratch? Your judges will only see ones that you deem worthy.

If you’re dealing with applicants or external reviewers within the EU, you also have to be mindful of GDPR. Ensuring the online awards management software you choose is complaint should be at the top of your list.

Custom Reporting

So far we’ve focused on features which benefit the application and review process, but what do you do with the reams of data you’re collecting.

During your program’s open period, you should be able to react quickly with real-time dashboards. Keeping track of application volume, reviewing progress, and monitoring applicant and admin activity should be super easy. With Submit.com’s powerful custom reporting tools you can be sure nothing will slip through the cracks.

Create custom reports to analyse applicant and evaluation data. Filter by criteria to quickly identify the data you are looking for and highlight any trends. You can then use it all to share the impact of your awards program and watch it develop year after year.

Are members of your team more comfortable with Excel? Or even Excel Jedi Masters? Then we have great news, with a single click, you can export your data to Excel, CSV or a whole host of other formats.

We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what an online awards management platform can offer you. Awards management is simple with Submit.com, from small to large we can handle them all with ease.

If you’re considering moving your awards program to an online awards management software and you’d like to learn more about streamlining your submission process, talk to one of our senior solutions specialists today who will guide you through the process to see if Submit.com is the right fit for you.

Originally published at https://submit.com on March 25, 2019.

5 essential features of an online awards management software | Submit.com was originally published in Submit.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.