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As we move quickly through 2021, we wanted to take a moment to look back over 2020 and share some of Thrive's key achievements. I’ll highlight some remarkable product developments and delve into this year's outlook.
# 1 Rapid Deployment App
At the end of 2019, we announced plans to develop our Rapid Deployment, Thrive's self-service beta programme. In 2020 we took our first steps and released a suite of features to help with the self-service experience.
1. We reimagined and executed a whole new way to sign up to and deploy Thrive, to create your Organisation and Thrive Workspace. Allowing customers to get set up, connect and engage with employees in a matter of minutes.
2. We rebuilt and redesigned our login flows for mobile and web to cater for Multi-Workspace sign in.
3. We designed and introduced a complete overhaul for Workspace and Organisation branding controls and settings.
4. We added Introductory Walk Throughs and Content Management System (CMS) 'Tooltips'.
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#2 Thrive Academy - 'Learning Tracks'
We released Thrive Academy ‘Learning Tracks', our curated library of tutorials and guides to help get new clients orientated with the platform as well as supporting existing clients with best practices and tips to increase engagement.
#3 New Podcast Feature
As part of the continual journey to diversify and improve content delivery, we introduced a new podcast feature (MP3 playback) into the mobile and web app.
Organisations are able to capitalise on this new functionality to increase the number of channels available to deliver content, creating a more 'on-the-go' experience for employees and giving them new ways to consume and engage with content.
This Feature in Action...
Our client, a leading global consultancy firm, use their Thrive employee app primarily for Podcasts. They post new podcast episodes each month to share important updates and engage with every employee across their organisation.
#4 User Generated File Upload
New User Generated Content functionality was added to enable file sharing within the app. Working in conjunction with our existing 'who can post' segmentation functionality, this created a new and powerful dynamic for customers. It allowed organisations to decentralise content publication and empowered specific groups to share files with colleagues that would otherwise be handled manually.
This Feature in Action...
Translink, Northern Ireland’s public transport provider, is using this new functionality to help deliver scheduling updates to teams across their network. Using the Thrive App, Translink are able to ramp up the speed at which this information is transferred and increase ease of access for employees, whilst reducing overall manual effort in communications transmission.
#5 Acknowledgements
Another exciting development was the introduction of 'Acknowledgements'. This functionality allowed organisations to directly target and gather end-user feedback for compliance, event and competition-based content. We added specific settings for each use case, for example, organisations could limit the number of entrants for an event whilst using our simple content creation tools to build and publish content.
We also automated background user group creation to capture 'acknowledged' users. This means that organisations can simply recycle the content by using that group to segment the content and provide details to relevant employees.
This Feature in Action...
Springfield Home Care are using the new Acknowledgements feature to organise internal employee well-being events and learning courses across their organisation.
#6 Workplace Capacity Management
In response to Covid-19, we developed a new capability to help organisations manage reduced desk capacity in their office space during the pandemic. This capability helps organisations implement Covid-safe policies with self-service convenience for the employee as well as providing data export reports to feed into organisations' Track and Trace procedures.
This Feature in Action...
Our client Dale Farm's head office employees are being phased back to the office slowly, and in order to keep employees safe, limitations are placed on the amount of office spaces available each day. Dale Farm's employee app is the sole place to book a space in their head office.
Dale Farm have streamlined this internal process by using lists, dates within lists as a page and then setting an event Acknowledgment with a limit to the number of responses depending on the maximum employees allowed into the office on those dates.
Human Resources in Dale Farm are then able to download a full report from Thrive's Content Management System to help with Track and Trace policies and procedures.
#7 Unsplash Integration
Late in the year we integrated with Unsplash. This gave App Editors access to over 1 million license-free HD images to search and use within their apps. Unsplash helps organisations create more appealing content without the overhead of relying on designer capacity or manual sourcing of high definition imagery for their app.
#8 ClearBox Consulting Report Scores Thrive Highly on User Interface and Value for Money
During 2020, Thrive was also featured in the Clearbox Consulting report. The report contains detailed analysis, scores and assessments across a range of employee communication and engagement platforms.
We were proud to see that Thrive performed well across the report categories and scored very highly in the user interface and mobile design segment. We also outperformed other platforms when it came to our User Generated Content and Recognition functionality. There was also a special mention around our unique approach to the customer sign up flow in conjunction with our introductory system guide and Learning Tracks functionality.
We're delighted to be recognised as serving the market with all the core features they require with the best value for money in the sector, especially in these challenging economic times.
"Thrive delivers all the tools of a communication platform for engaging users, with built-in guidance for success at a competitive price."
Check out and grab your own ClearBox Consulting Employee Apps report here.
2021 and Beyond...
#1 @Mentions
We launched our new @Mentions feature which allows organisations and colleagues to mention and tag others in page comments.
When typing a comment, you can simply press the @ symbol and begin typing someone's name. Your list of colleagues will be narrowed down as you continue typing. When you find the person you want to mention, simply tap on them from the list then continue to write the rest of your comment.
This Feature in Action...
Springfield Home Care are using their employee app to ensure they get consistent, clear messages out to all team members. With dispersed, deskless teams they needed a way to improve information sharing and communication. Their app is also helping to lift the spirits of their colleagues, especially during the challenging times with Covid-19.
Springfield Home Care are using the @mentions feature and push notifications to draw colleagues' attention to important information.
Looking Forward
Our vision is to continue to push the platform to combine functionality with employee engagement and communications, helping to not only improve employee engagement but to streamline internal processes and operations.
Our roadmap, as always, is determined by our customers' feedback and needs and we are excited to announce that the product team will be running a new programme called 'Thrive Labs'. Thrive Labs will give Editors and Organisations exclusive access to craft features, develop functional requirements and test out ideas before they are implemented.
We will also be casting an eye toward Azure Cognitive Services. The cognitive services suite from Microsoft will help us investigate the addition of machine learning, AI, and a host of new, automated functionality.
If you're interested in finding out more, you can request a copy of our 2021 roadmap by reaching out to product@thrive.app.
