Having a team of highly educated professionals has obvious benefits in terms of delivering a high-quality service to customers, but can also unlock new capabilities which fuel business growth. The Axis Certification Program is specifically developed to help you validate your expertise and uplevel your offering. In this article, we will discuss the importance of certification and how this program will ultimately enable you to stand out from the competition.
Are all certifications created equal?
The network video surveillance market is constantly innovating and businesses which stay at the cutting edge of information will stay one step ahead. There is no shortage of qualifications available to your employees who are looking to invest in themselves, but it’s important to understand which ones will best support their objectives. For example, a certification awarded by an organization recognizes that a working professional has the knowledge and ability to perform a role within the context of that specific organization and its products or services. It provides validation of the knowledge and capabilities of the individual, which is widely recognized by businesses, suppliers and customers. Certification can also be awarded by a professional association.
In most cases, certifications from organizations tend to carry more weight as they are aligned with that specific company’s products and services. In contrast, certifications from associations are more vendor-agnostic and can be generally applied to different types and brands of technology.
What does the Axis Certification Program offer?
The Axis Certification Program is an industry-recognized certification in the latest network video technologies. The program offers self-paced eLearning courses, instructor-led trainings as well as other learning material to build a comprehensive knowledge base. This style of blended learning means that your employees can schedule their own lessons, as well as learn and collaborate with other candidates. The course materials have been designed to be evergreen, with an eye on the latest new technologies to arise in the industry. We use third-party test administrators with independent, unbiased proctors, so your end customers can rest assured that every Axis Certified Professional understands network video.
The program is broken into three steps: preparation, getting certified and staying certified. The first step focuses on employees becoming familiar with the educational content provided by us in the learning portal. Our educational material is offered in various formats including self-paced eLearning courses and deeper dives with hands-on training—all designed to suit your learning style, preferences, and needs. The preparation for the exam is not about products, but rather emphasizes the agnostic “how to’s” throughout the industry.
The second stage is taking the Axis Network Video Exam to become certified as an Axis Certified Professional. If you feel that you already have the relevant knowledge, then you can skip the first step and take the exam. However, you will have a greater chance of success if you attend the relevant classes before taking the exam, as this ensures that you’re prepped with the most recent information.
The final step is to stay certified, as your certification is only valid for three years. This encourages you to keep your knowledge fresh so that you’re up to date with the latest innovations in the network video industry.
More education drives business success
Although education can seem like a significant investment, including time out of the field to ensure members of your team are certified, there are many short- and long-term benefits which your business can enjoy.
Improving employee education will have an immediate impact. Employees will be better equipped to deliver your services in a more effective, efficient way, and can refine your offering by utilizing advanced levels of knowledge. There is also likely to be less turnover and more employee satisfaction due to this culture of continuous education. In fact, a recent study found that employees with professional development opportunities have 34% higher retention. This is key for both existing staff and employee recruitment, as it shows that your business values employees’ development.
Investments in certifications strengthen your credibility within your customer base and help you stand out from the crowd. Validated advanced levels of knowledge will result in improved trust as qualified staff can increase customer understanding of complex concepts, opening doors for new opportunities for business growth. The increased margins and new revenue streams will ultimately have a positive effect on the bottom line.
Increased career opportunities and job satisfaction are powerful incentives
Businesses that promote certifications will ultimately have a positive impact on individuals, as it increases their skill set through acquiring advanced knowledge. From your employees’ perspective, this also results in improved confidence, credibility and competence when this knowledge is applied in the field. Companies and associations can also recognize individuals with visibility amongst public audiences in external marketing or web channels.
In terms of career progression, further education can unlock opportunities for employees, leading to better job satisfaction. The individual gains a competitive advantage when it comes to career growth. Ultimately investing in programs such as the Axis Certification Program sets your employees up for future success.
End customers also reap the benefits
All businesses want to ensure their customers are satisfied with the goods and services provided. There are always opportunities to add value to your customers and an educated team can do this organically in the field.
From a customer perspective, the benefits are numerous. Dealing with certified professionals means that knowledge can be passed on during interactions, allowing you to educate the customer on how to get the best out of the solution and increase ROI. By working with your trained staff, customers can gain better insights into growth and efficiency opportunities. In addition, highly trained professionals can help your customers avoid potential problems and solve issues more efficiently, avoiding downtime or other business impacts.
While these benefits may not be evident at first, having certified staff will improve your company’s reputation and reassure customers that they’re in good hands. This increased trust and customer confidence will help convert them into advocates to help fuel business growth.
Certification is a continuous commitment
Although certain forms of educational qualifications are completed once, the evolving nature of the security industry means that certifications can become out-of-date with time. Without a follow-up or recertification plan, one might be left wondering what the next steps are. This was a key reason why the Axis Certification Program has a built-in recertification step which encourages continuous education and reassessment. In fact, we offer benefits in the Channel Partner Program associated with having Axis Certified professionals on staff. This commitment to continuous education should become a part of your business’ culture, and the real value will be obtained through knowledge retention, transfer and practical application.
Having a significant number of certified individuals in your business will ultimately contribute to positive success factors – internal knowledge transfer, greater innovation, employee retention and customer satisfaction – while helping to future-proof your business against industry shifts and new technologies.