Peak Experience for Pinnacle Series is here!This foundational update to the pioneering Pinnacle Series LMS sets a new standard for what learning and development can look like in architecture, engineering, and construction businesses.
Peak Experience is more than just a one-time upgrade—it’s an evolution. Peak Experience represents the first step in an ongoing process to build on what excels in Pinnacle Classic, and to grow Pinnacle—and your business with it—into the best possible version of itself.
In this article, we’ll delve into the details of what’s available now in Peak Experience for each subscription type, and we’ll also take a look at what those features lay the groundwork for in the weeks to come.
Enhanced Features: Taking the Next Step
The goal with Peak Experience isn’t to reinvent the wheel. Rather, to smooth out and streamline what’s working well in Pinnacle Classic and then build on it, incorporating valuable feedback from users into new quality-of-life features that make learning even easier.
These are the key Enhanced features in Peak Experience: what’s available now, for both users and managers, and what’s in store down the road.
Look and Feel
A new interface design allows both users and managers to navigate Peak Experience even faster and more smoothly than Pinnacle Classic. Added content carousels offer easy access to categories like Assignments and Libraries (more on those below), and restructured menus and an added quick-access search bar make Peak Experience more intuitive to use.
For end users: Flags and progress indicators provide extra information at a glance on their home pages.
For managers: Theming, branding, and other customization functions are streamlined for easier use, and the home page’s background image can now be changed. Managers can take advantage of list or tile view when navigating content.
In the works: Additional customization options for the home page (assignable layouts, landing pages) and end-user list/tile view toggle.
Search
The Search function has been retooled across Peak Experience to work faster and surface more information at a glance. The new interface incorporates graphical elements like content thumbnails for greater context; makes certain handy metadata available in the search results; and allows users to enroll directly into a course from the search page. We’ve also added quick filters to help users narrow down their searches easily.
Upgraded Search metadata:
New description logic
Content length
Course difficulty
Course topics
Enrollment status
Viewing and Consuming Content
Peak Experience optimizes the information available to learners on screen, offering additional visibility and control. Users have access to more details about the course they’re in, the content they’re consuming, and the quizzes they’re taking, as well as the option for full-screen views to focus in on learning content or workflows.
Increased visibility into:
Content metadata
Course completion status
Course description
Quiz data
User Profile and Organization
End users have access to new information and organizational tools, with even more capabilities on their way. The user profile page has been redesigned to accommodate these tools, and to make navigation easier and more intuitive.
Transcripts and other downloads are now available for users, as is an all-new Bookmarks landing page where users can see content they’ve tagged for easy access. In the near future, users will have additional search and viewing options for Bookmarks as well as their My Documents folder, and will also be able to submit off-platform learning for inclusion in their history and transcript.
Supercharged Features: A New Level of Learning
Some of Peak Experience’s features go beyond an upgrade and cross into “transformational” territory. These supercharged capabilities pave the way for innovative new approaches to employee development, helping learners to create fresh connections across disciplines and managers to customize the experience ever more closely to the needs of both their business and their users.
Assignments
A restructured assignments interface offers both users and managers unprecedented transparency and flexibility. Users can view assigned KnowledgeSmart assessments alongside assigned learning content and see them in either tile or list views. New sorting options and visibility into assignment status let users see more information at once and give them the tools to customize their view—on top of which, they’re also able to bring up their current enrollments and full assignment history.
Managers have access to a new assignment management area with information aligned to organizational structure, making it easier than ever to target learning to the employees who need it most. Full visibility and robust sorting across title, content type, status, and due date let managers create and edit assignments intuitively and quickly.
Upcoming Peak Experience releases will build on assignment capabilities even further with role-based and assessment-based personalized learning plans; bulk actions like editing, emailing, and exporting; and granular assignment options for individual content items.
Content Management and Customization
Peak Experience provides managers with all-new ways to organize and manage content. One of the most significant is a new content container called libraries, which are visible to end users as well. Libraries give managers another axis along which to control content publication, visibility, and grouping, including the ability to collect your own custom content alongside subscription content in the same library. Managers and users alike can view libraries in tile or list view, see and edit library descriptions, associate images with libraries, and copy existing libraries to create new versions.
Additional content management options let managers structure content permissions in alignment with organizational roles, and provide a content change summary which can be exported for auditing and review. With these content controls, managers have even more tools to personalize learning quickly and consistently based on business needs and the demands of a job position or department.
User Management
In keeping with the theme of more closely aligning permissions with business hierarchies, Peak Experience allows managers to grant assignment privileges on the basis of organizational roles—making it easier for team supervisors and other organizational leaders to connect their staff with targeted learning content.
In addition, Peak Experience adds three new tiers of content management permissions, creating more granular options for controlling content publication, creation, and editing. Within Peak Experience, administrators have more tools to manage knowledge sharing and ensure organizational policies and standards are maintained.
How to Enable the Peak Experience
To turn on the Peak Experience, follow the step-by-step instructions provided below:
Log in to the Administration Portal.
Navigate to Settings.
Select General from the menu.
Enable the Peak Experience Configuration option.
Once enabled, you’ll unlock all the benefits of the updated user experience for your team.
How can Microsol Resources help
Microsol Resources is committed to our users’ continued growth and excellence in their industries. Contact us at info@microsolresources.com if you would like to schedule a demo with the team and see what Pinnacle Series has to offer.
Ongoing training for organizations in the fields of Architecture, Engineering and Construction, (AEC) is a mission-critical initiative. The skills gap recently discussed is most pressing for construction, but architecture and engineering firms also face similar challenges: industry demand that outpaces workforce growth, rapidly shifting technology, and large-scale projects involving coordination between multiple internal departments, external contractors, and clients. Standardization and regulation are high, bringing with them their own ongoing training requirements.
To meet these needs, businesses within the AEC sectors require a Learning Management System (LMS) to centralize training resources, make them accessible to employees wherever they are, and track learning progress. However, the options at first glance are overwhelming. The LMS industry includes numerous variations, each with distinct user features, admin functions, and content libraries. Deciphering which is the best choice for a team can involve weeks of research, just to narrow down the options to the top contenders.
Making the correct choice isn’t just a matter of features and functions—it also has a direct impact on the success of a training initiative. Many workers disengage from learning even when they list opportunities for ongoing education as one of their most valued benefits. The disconnect is clear: if employees want training but feel that the training provided is inadequate, they may express dissatisfaction with specific solutions while still seeking more training.
For example:
A BIM manager needs to check for design clashes in Navisworks.
An engineer wants to create an analytical structural model in Revit.
A construction foreman wants to reassign crew members in Procore.
A mechanical engineer needs help with assembly modeling in SOLIDWORKS.
In each of these cases, if the worker doesn’t know how to perform a step in their software, they may spend hours searching YouTube for an effective tutorial or probing Reddit for peer advice. As they do, they must evaluate the overall quality of each answer for trustworthiness (is this source knowledgeable?), timeliness (are their answers up to date with the latest software?), and comprehensiveness (are they telling everything needed, or have important details been skipped?). This can consume hours of a person’s day and prevent them from being effective in their job.
This is where an LMS like Pinnacle Series, purpose-built for the AEC industries, stands apart. By making it easy for employees to find the exact training materials they need right when they need them, Pinnacle Series helps architecture, engineering and construction, businesses achieve more from their elearning initiatives.
Six Benefits of Choosing an LMS That Specializes in AEC
Access an industry-based content library.
The first and most immediate benefit of choosing an LMS for Architecture, Engineering & Construction, is access to a robust, industry-relevant content library. A generic LMS equipped only with course creation features requires businesses to either build training content internally, hire subject matter experts, or source a separate elearning partner.An LMS that includes industry training content alongside course creation features provides immediate support for teams. Pinnacle Series includes comprehensive training materials across a range of widely used programs among AEC companies and maintains up-to-date content through a dedicated content team.
Increase the relevance of learning content.
Access to training is one thing, but no one wants to wade through a long course just to find the answer they need in the last five minutes. Features that allow employees to find exactly what they need are essential. Pinnacle Series solves this problem with advanced search functions and skill assessments that create customized learning paths for users.
Create custom workflows to ensure quality control.
Workflows are a critical support for industries with high quality control needs. Pinnacle Series includes customizable workflows to fit organizational standards, ensuring employees can easily find and follow processes, reducing errors and maintaining consistency.
Build a shared source of knowledge within the organization.
Custom workflows and editable course content enable businesses to centralize and share the expertise of their most qualified employees. This reduces bottlenecks and interruptions while making valuable knowledge more accessible to others.
Maintain and track industry qualifications.
Some sectors have regulatory requirements for ongoing education, while employees often value accessible ways to track qualifications. Pinnacle Series provides tools to monitor who holds specific qualifications and identify team members in need of additional training.
Shore up skill gaps with assessments.
Identifying skill gaps is a challenge for most organizations. The KnowledgeSmart skill assessment tool in Pinnacle Series helps businesses locate gaps within their workforce or during the hiring process and creates learning paths to address them.
Why Generic LMS Solutions Fall Short for AEC Industries
Choosing an LMS that is not specialized for AEC industries can lead to inefficiencies and unmet training needs. For optimal results, BIM and CAD managers should be involved in the decision-making process to identify features most relevant to their teams. Gaining their early buy-in helps ensure successful implementation and adoption.
For those seeking to simplify the selection process, Microsol Resources offers expert guidance. Account Executives can walk through Pinnacle Series features, address questions, and provide support for a successful training initiative.
Contact us today to explore how Pinnacle Series can transform training for AEC businesses by emailing info@microsolresources.com
A hybrid course might be the right choice for you if you are looking for a way to supplement your traditional live classes with the flexibility of on-demand classes. With the hybrid course, you can go back and re-watch or review the information that you are having difficulty with.
Why do you need self-paced, on-demand software training?
Find the exact content you need to maximize your productivity with tools like global search, custom learning paths, and in-application contextual lessons. Assessments generate individualized learning paths targeted to your knowledge gaps, providing just the content you need to overcome roadblocks in your design work, master tasks, and avoid redundant learning.
Microsol Resources offers on-demand training with our partner, Eagle Point Software, the creator of Pinnacle Series, a perfect extension to our current Instructor-led training classes.
Pinnacle Series is a comprehensive learning management solution designed for architecture, engineering, and construction as well as manufacturing professionals. It features a vast library of videos, documents, and development resources that facilitate long-term employee training, on-demand problem-solving, and digital transformation.
Learning whenever and wherever your team needs it
With the Pinnacle Series learning management system, your employees can learn new software tools and brush up their existing skills on an ongoing basis, whenever it fits into their schedule. With on-demand resources, learning doesn’t have to be an occasional event — it can be a natural part of your team’s workday.
It gives your team the tools to improve their skills, share knowledge, work collaboratively, and boost efficiency. You can also:
Access to courses, documents, workflows, videos, and live events
Translations to over 90 languages
Robust reporting on learning and usage
Unlimited Windows Azure Cloud Storage
Content customization
Open API
Personalized learning
With Pinnacle Series, AEC and manufacturing organizations can harness the power of KnowledgeSmart assessments in creating personalized, targeted learning plans for their employees. Employees take an assessment on a certain software or skill, and then automatically receive a custom learning program within Pinnacle Series so they only have to train on the areas that need improvement.
Knowledge sharing & collaboration
Whether your organization has one location or offices around the world, Pinnacle Series can help streamline operations and improve collaboration. It’s packed with knowledge-sharing tools like Work Groups, which allows you to share project materials with internal and external team members; subject matter expert designations; and social features to help increase learning engagement.
What is included in the Pinnacle Series?
Standard Content Library
The Standard Content Library includes the following content libraries: All Autodesk Content, BIM Track, Bluebeam Revu, Enscape, ESRI, Global BIM Standards, Ideate Software, Lumion, McNeel Grasshopper/Rhino, Newforma, Pinnacle Series, Procore, Revizto, Solibri, Sketchup, Tekla, V-Ray.
Knowledge Gap
In addition, the Pinnacle Series is designed to generate custom courses based on your current skill gaps through the integration with KnowledgeGap, a benchmarking service provider.
KnowledgeSmart assessments are:
Easy to administer
Easy to use
And easy to personalize
Analysis and recommendations are delivered complete with links to training courses and other e-learning resources. Check out the video below for an overview.
Additional Content & Software
Additionally, Adobe, Microsoft, Healthy & Safety, Management Skills, SOLIDWORKS, and Bentley training are also available to be added to your own personalized platform.
For more information about Microsol Resources and Pinnacle Series by Eagle Point Software, please contact me, Brenda Araujo, our Training Coordinator at training@microsolresources.com.
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