Freelancing Is Alive and Well

Almost every day I see news articles that highlight the growing trend for freelancers and, in turn, the thriving independent workforce. For example, this latest article from Parade.com – 4 Reasons Why Freelancing is the New Career – offers very compelling reasons why freelancing works and is likely here to stay. With advantages such as having the flexibility to work locally or globally, being your own boss and determining your work schedule, there’s a lot to like!

Demographic data today shows that there are almost 17 million independent workers in the U.S. and that this is expected to grow to 50% of the American workforce by 2020. At OnForce, we clearly see this trend continuing within the IT sector. Our business forecasts continue to show growth opportunities demonstrating that freelancing is working and thriving in the IT space through the OnForce platform.

Whether you are a company looking into the benefits of leveraging independent workers or a seasoned veteran in the world of managing variable labor, there’s no question that the individual economy has arrived. Are you taking advantage of it?

Reference: OnForce

Who Would You Trust As Your Business Partner – an Innovator or an Imitator?

Almost every day I see news articles that highlight the growing trend for freelancers and, in turn, the thriving independent workforce. For example, this latest article from Parade.com – 4 Reasons Why Freelancing is the New Career – offers very compelling reasons why freelancing works and is likely here to stay. With advantages such as having the flexibility to work locally or globally, being your own boss and determining your work schedule, there’s a lot to like!

Demographic data today shows that there are almost 17 million independent workers in the U.S. and that this is expected to grow to 50% of the American workforce by 2020. At OnForce, we clearly see this trend continuing within the IT sector. Our business forecasts continue to show growth opportunities demonstrating that freelancing is working and thriving in the IT space through the OnForce platform.

Whether you are a company looking into the benefits of leveraging independent workers or a seasoned veteran in the world of managing variable labor, there’s no question that the individual economy has arrived. Are you taking advantage of it?

Reference: OnForce

What’s Happening In the Labor Management World and Why I Joined OnForce

Bill Price, COO of OnForce, Shares His Perspective

For the last seventeen years I have worked in the IT staffing industry. I started out as a software developer and worked my way up to senior management positions in technology. Over the years the business has treated me very well but it has gone stale.

I’ve always felt the professional staffing business was ripe for change. The process of manually capturing a client’s labor need, bringing that need to a recruiter, then sending resumes back to the client before finally (and hopefully) placing a candidate was outdated and inefficient. It felt like a fundamental change was needed and then the Vendor Management Services and Managed Service Provider business models were introduced. This was exciting at the time since technology could empower a service buyer and offer overall labor cost efficiencies through automation – a step in the right direction. But this wasn’t really a new model, it was simply an improvement on the existing model and certainly nothing revolutionary.

The primary functions of staffing agencies are sales and recruiting (with some cost saving benefits). At one time, staffing models made sense since they could retain teams of professionals that served their clients. However, as professional staffing companies grew nationally, and cost and profit pressures increased, these companies were not able to maintain a consistent stream of talent. At the same time we’ve seen the quiet rise of the independent contractor and the continued evolution of the transient nature of IT professionals. The result: staffing companies began vying for the same pool of talent! Where is the value add? What differentiates these staffing organizations now? Virtually nothing except possibly reach and maybe quality or speed to deliver but these aren’t enough. Next enters, commoditization, another step on the path to change.

During the last two decades we’ve seen many examples – eBay, Craigslist, Angie’s List…etc… – of how technology has advanced to match a buyer and seller. So why can’t we match the needs of staffing buyers directly with a network of labor resources using technology without the middleman? This would be a truly revolutionary idea. The answer is we can! This is exactly what OnForce does (and has been doing for several years). In fact, OnForce is a pioneer of this new business model. We offer our clients an on-site, W2-like experience for task-based assignments using independent contractors. This is exactly why I joined OnForce: to help lead the path as a pioneer, to be a game changer. With the rise of the independent worker and the shift into the individual economy, OnForce is well positioned to drive the revolution and I am very excited to be a part of it.

Reference: OnForce Inc

Congratulations to the Top Performing Service Professionals with OnForce!

The ability to consistently provide high quality service is an essential ingredient for success in field services and a #1 priority for OnForce. Out of the thousands of top quality service professionals that comprise our community, we would like to call special attention to those who have demonstrated exceptional quality service.

Recognition Awards

Pro Spotlight: Designated to service professionals who are recognized by service buyers for outstanding performance.

Best of 2012: Designated to service professionals who have completed hundreds of service events through OnForce and consistently followed OnForce service excellence guidelines with every service event.

OnForce All Stars: Designated to the top 12 "best of 2012" recipients who have a long history of providing top quality service throughout their tenure with OnForce.

We send congratulations and many thanks to these exceptional individuals.

View the Best of OnForce top performers

Reference: OnForce Inc

Top 3 Printer Repair Issues and How to Solve Them

Like any machine in an office environment, a laser printer will occasionally have issues, from the minor to the serious. Fortunately, sometimes it just takes some printer know-how to address the problem. Gain some insight by looking at these top repair issues, along with tips on how to solve them quickly and affordably:

Problem: Dark streaks on printouts

Fix: Change the toner cartridge

Often, a change in cartridges will give laser printer owners a false sense of security, since they might believe that a new or freshly recycled cartridge wouldn’t have any type of problems. But there are many situations where a cartridge can be negatively impacted by handling, temperature changes during shipping, even from an employee dropping it before it goes in the printer. To find out if the cartridge is the problem, swap it out with one from another printer in the office (as long as they’re the same type) and run a print job. Most likely, the “new” cartridge will have to be replaced.

Problem: Frequent paper jams

Fix: Clean first, replace rollers if necessary

One of the most frustrating problems with laser printers, paper jams can create larger problems since tiny, torn pieces of paper can get into the machinery. The reason jams occur can depend on the printer type, but most often, the rollers are the culprits. Give them a thorough cleaning first to see if that solves the issue — don’t forget to unplug the printer first and let it cool down for an hour before taking on the project. There are many products available for cleaning, but usually a slightly damp, lint-free cloth will work well. If that doesn’t solve the issue, then it’s likely that the rollers will need to be replaced, and a call to an OnForce specialist will be in order.

Problem: Regular error messages

Fix: Learn the error codes, install firmware updates

Like any laptop or server, laser printers depend on software and technologically advanced hardware in order to run, and that means a company will have to apply software and firmware updates as they would with other technology components. Often, it’s easy to know when updates are needed because the printer is showing error messages that indicate difficulties in communication between the printer and the computer. Faulty cables, software inoperability, new devices without proper print drivers, or other concerns can all create error codes, so learning what each code means can be helpful. After that, follow manufacturer instructions for applying firmware updates, which can usually be found on their websites. Once firmware is updated, be sure to restart the printer, similar to restarting a computer after installation of a security patch.

With error codes resolved, clean rollers, and more reliable cartridges, it’s likely that any laser printer will be operating more efficiently and trouble-free. For more extensive fixes, contact your OnForce representative for more advice and on-site repairs that can keep those printers going strong.

Reference: OnForce Inc

Is Your Printer a Hidden Security Risk?

Although intrusion detection systems and robust firewalls are necessary for protecting companies of any size, sometimes there are scary threats to the business lurking just inside the company walls.

Case in point: your laser printer.

Many enterprises and small businesses, even those that are tech savvy, forget to include printer protection in their security mix, because they’re focused instead on more traditional types of risks like malicious viruses and hacker attempts. Yet printers have the capability to store massive amounts of information, and that data can get accessed.

In 2011, two Columbia University researchers discovered that HP LaserJet printers didn’t require a signature or certificate to identify the source of remote software updates. Since a LaserJet checks for software updates whenever a new job is sent, this means that the laser printers were creating security risks every single time it was utilized for printing.

The researchers sent a virus-filled print job into the queue, in the form of a tax return. Using the printer flaw, they were able to redirect the information to a remote computer representing an external hacker’s laptop.

First rolled out in 1984, LaserJet printers are used in millions of businesses, and newer models can accept jobs through Internet connections, which simply exacerbates the security risk, the researchers believe.

The threat isn’t just with HP laser printers, either. Any printer that utilizes software updates and features an Internet connection might present a risk. Here are three simple steps to making sure you’re protected:

Change the default password. Even when printers are networked, companies tend to keep the default password because they view the machine as an internal resource, not a source of information to external parties. Simply changing the password goes a long way toward blocking remote access.

Keep the firmware updated. Printer manufacturers often release updates to firmware, especially when security issues are detected. Much like a laptop or desktop computer, frequent security patches and fixes are necessary to block the newest threats.

Don’t network unless necessary. Although some companies use one laser printer for a department, there are some instances where a printer is assigned to an individual. In that case, connect the printer directly to the computer and keep it off the network.

Whenever a machine is networked, keep security in mind — this applies to servers, photocopiers, even VoIP phone systems. Where there’s an opening, there’s a problem. Prevent issues by locking down your laser printers and keeping your company in tip-top security shape.

Reference: OnForce Inc

Platform Version 5.55.5 Released

We’ve just released an update to the OnForce platform, including several functionality improvements for OnForce users. Here’s a rundown of what’s new. Let us know what you think of these changes in the comments!

Bulk edit price and date of bundled work orders

It’s now easier than ever to make adjustments to the price and date of the work orders within a routed bundle: buyers can simply use the ‘Edit Work Orders’ link when viewing a bundle to make edits to the bundle details without having to open each work order individually. If you aren’t already using the bundling feature, it’s a great way to offer a group of sites as a “package deal,” ensuring the same technician services multiple sites — a strategy which results in a consistent end user experience and more efficient driving routes for OnForce pros.

Search work orders by service contact name

OnForce provides powerful search and filtering tools to help you find the work orders you’re looking for. We’ve now added service contact name search to the Advanced Search menu to give you yet another way to look up work orders in your Buyer Command Center.

Complete for payment reminder emails no longer sent on work orders with a pending spend limit increase request

Reminder emails are a helpful feature for OnForce Pros managing a lot of work to stay on top of closing out work orders. They’re not so helpful, however, if you’re waiting on a spend limit increase from the buyer before completing for payment. We no longer send a complete for payment reminder email on work orders with a pending spend limit increase request.

Buyers can resolve their own work order escalations

Many work order escalations are resolved through the efforts of OnForce buyers and Pros working with one another to clear up a problem. Now, buyers can officially resolve their own escalations, making for a more seamless exception management workflow. When a buyer escalates a work order, both the OnForce Pro and OnForce Market Support are notified so that all parties can work together to resolve the issue. Previously, only OnForce Market Support team members could resolve an escalation.

Reference: OnForce Inc