Can we have our own private “portal” on your website, with our company’s branding?
Yes, for our enterprise customers (i.e. multiple site customers).
Is there a specific sequence we should watch the videos?
That depends. Generally speaking, it is best to watch the series in numerical order. However, there are situations where we would recommend that an organization watch the videos out of order. For example, if your organization just launched a 5S program, jumping straight to the videos on 5S would be quite appropriate.
What is the advantage of online subscriptions instead of DVDs?
Because it’s so much more efficient and convenient–for you! It’s on-demand access, anytime, anywhere you have a reasonable internet connection. On your desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. Consider this: You have 20 people you want to train. With DVDs, you can either gather your staff in a classroom to show the video, or you have to deliver the DVDs, collect them, deliver them, collect them, etc., until everyone has seen each one. Since our lean video series has 40+ episodes, that is a lot of disk management! With an online subscription, you could gather seven people for a meeting and show a video. The other 13 can watch it on-demand at their work stations or wherever they like.Most importantly, coming in 2014, you’ll be able to track students to see if they have actually watched a video, and passed the quiz you have the option of requiring they take. Additionally, as new videos are added to a series, as part of your subscription you automatically have access to them.
What new training products are you currently working on?
Several. There has been a resurgence in interest in team-based employee problem solving activities, e.g. quality circles, productivity improvement teams, employee involvement groups, etc.. They go by many names, but follow the process originally designed by Dr. Karou Ishikawa. We’ll be releasing updated training materials for this subject matter in 2014. ISO 9000:2015 is now in it’s pre-release state, and we have already been asked how we can support the new standard through our training resources. And with magic. How? We are currently scripting a series of over 100 videos featuring renowned magician Tom Ogden, each about three minutes in length, on a wide variety of industry topics: Quality, lean, customer service, safety, teamwork, resolving conflict, innovation, etc. The purpose of each video is, in just three minutes, show why a topic is important, and do it in an entertaining way with magic. The videos are intended to be used at the beginning of a meeting or training session that will cover that particular topic. Once you have everyone’s attention, there’s no question that your meeting will be much more productive.
Can I download the videos?
No. They are recorded in high definition, and the size of the files is substantial. The files are optimized for playing in real-time streaming over the web. However, the reality of video streaming is that it is an effective way to control configuration management, updates, and changes.
Can you customize your existing videos for our organization?
Yes! For some organizations, this is an ideal solution to their training efforts. We use your employees, your facilities, your problems. After your employees watch the video they will think it was designed especially for them.
What if we want consulting services to support the videos?
We provide an extensive array of in-house consulting and training services. For many organizations, having this personalized approach to their lean and quality initiatives is invaluable to their programs’ success.
Can we get a discount for multiple sites?
Yes, we have an enterprise program for subscriptions. There are substantial discounts if you purchase a license that covers multiple sites.
How many people can use a single subscription?
We offer a site subscription model, not an individual person subscription model. An unlimited number of people can use the site subscription as long as they are all part of the same site.
Is there a specific industry that your training materials are targeted for?
Our training materials are designed for a variety of industries. In cases where a particular course or series is designed for a specific industry or industries, it will be clearly indicated. However, most of our courseware is for all industry, which could be service industry, manufacturing industry, aviation industry, etc.
Why is the entire “Enhancing and Sustaining Lean Improvements” series not for sale yet?
It is! But, it’s just not ready for shipment. The entire series has been carefully scripted based on latest information and we are right in the middle of production of the remaining episodes.
What is a “site license?”
This is a license that is attached to a specific physical location. It could be a building, a plant, a hospital, a division, etc. A generally helpful guideline is that a site can have a fence put around it. Although this is not a hard and fast rule, it the most effective way of looking at the definition of site for our purposes.
How are your licenses structured?
We keep it very simple. Each license for our videos is for a “site.” A site is defined as a single location, campus, or facility, whether there are 5 or 500 people.
What does 360 Performance Circle do?
We provide training products in video and print format for a variety of industries. Our focus is on-demand video streaming via a paid subscription model. Our company has its roots in industry journalism, covering the quality field. We continued to see the terrific need for more efficient training methods that are appropriate for today’s organizations and their employees, so we used that insight to create 360 Performance Circle. You will continue to see new products and services added on a regular basis.
Should the video courses be watched in a specific order?
Not necessarily. If there is a specific topic you’re interested in, just go straight to that course.
Are your videos targeted for a specific industry?
No. Our videos are designed for a variety of industries including but not limited to manufacturing, service industries, healthcare, aviation, and government. If any video is designed for one specific industry it will be clearly noted.
Are there prerequisites for your training programs?
No, our videos are suitable for all—as a place to begin your learning or to expand and expand what you aleady know after years of experience.
Are your videos available in foreign languages?
Yes, our videos can be translated into any foreign language. We don’t use subtitles, rather we use voiceover as done at the United Nations as well as major media outlets like CNN, BBC, etc.. Please contact us to discuss your translation needs.
Am I able to cancel my subscription? Will I be able to receive a refund?
Yes, you may obtain a refund within 30 days of purchase.
Are the videos available on DVD?
No, DVD technology has become obsolete. However, if you need to view the videos offline, they are available for download.
Can I download the videos?
Yes, you may purchase a downloadable version so the videos can be viewed offline. We provide access to download the actual video files, or we can send a USB thumb drive so you can transfer the files to your hard drive. A code is issued that unlocks access to the videos for the period of your subscription. There is an additional fee to receive downloadable videos.
Keep in mind that video files are huge, so a video series download can be as large as 15GB in size which translates to hours of downloading, but at the completion of the download you will be able to watch the videos immediately.
We recommend using the streaming video format because our videos are in HD (high definition) and optimized for internet delivery, but in situations where you don’t have a reasonable or reliable internet connection, downloading the videos provides a solution.
What is a “site subscription?”
A site is a specific and single physical location, whether it’s an office building, plant, hospital, etc. If you work on a campus with multiple divisions in separate buildings, or your company has multiple locations across a region, country, or the globe, we will consider you an “enterprise” customer which requires an enterprise subscription. Please contact us so we can create a subscription plan that works best for you. Click here to view our pricing model.
Can we get a discount for multiple sites?
Yes, we offer a significant discount for multi-site customers. Please contact us to discuss options.
How many people can use a single subscription?
Since we use a site subscription model, not a per-person subscription model, everyone at your site can be given access to the subscription. The price of your subscription depends on the number of employees there.
Do you have special pricing for an individual?
Yes, if you’re not connected with a business or other organization, and will use the videos strictly for personal use, we have special discounted pricing available. Please contact us.
Is it possible to receive a price reduction for very small businesses, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations?
Yes! We have special pricing for these organizations. Please contact us to discuss a plan that will work for your organization.
Can we have our own private “portal” on your website with our company’s branding?
Yes, please contact us for details.
Can you customize your videos for our organization or create custom videos just for us?
Yes and yes. For some organizations this is an ideal training solution. We use your employees, your branding, your facilities, your projects. Please contact us to discuss.
Is in-person consulting available to support and expand on the video training?
Absolutely. Kaizen Institute is a world leader in continuous improvement training and we are eager to assist you in achieving your company’s goals. Please contact us to discuss or visit our global website here.
Is it possible to purchase a subscription using a purchase order?
Of course you can place an order with a purchase order. Please see our Purchase Order Policy.
How long will it take for my videos to be available?
For online streaming videos paid by credit care, access is immediate.
For online streaming videos paid by purchase order, access is granted when we receive the PO and issue an invoice.
What are the system requirements to view our videos?
One of the great things about modern computer technology is most computers can play video without the pausing/stuttering/headaches of years past. That said, your internet connection is going to play the biggest role in the quality of viewing at KAIZEN™ Online.
Our videos are delivered to automatically reduce image quality when there is not enough bandwidth to deliver the top HD video quality.
The video player isn’t showing
The video player we use in our videos requires JavaScript to be enabled. For various reasons, some IT departments disable JavaScript. Contact your IT department to make sure your company’s policies allow JavaScript to be turned on. If JavaScript is permitted, go into your browser settings to turn it on. To enable JavaScript in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari, click here: http://enable-javascript.com. Follow the links and steps for the browser you are using.
Why can’t I hear the audio as my video plays?
Begin with the basics: Is the volume in your computer settings turned up? If using external speakers, are they turned on and turned up sufficiently?
If the audio problem isn’t either of these things, there might be a problem with the sound settings/codecs in your computer—contact your IT department.
My videos are running slowly, how can I fix that?
Sometimes your web browser seems to slow down or you experience errors on websites that usually function properly. Try to correct this by refreshing your browser’s cache which is a place on your hard disk that your computer downloads temporary files to.
IE Link: http://refreshyourcache.com/en/internet-explorer-11/
Chrome link: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050?hl=en
Firefox link: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-clear-firefox-cache
Of course you can place an order with a purchase order. Place your order on our website, at checkout you’ll see there’s a place to select “Pay by PO,” enter the PO number if you have it, then email, fax, or mail your PO, and once received, we’ll turn on access so you can watch your videos. Simple!
It depends on the nature of the product(s):
- For physical products paid by a credit card or received purchase order, we ship within 48 hours. Ground shipping to the USA is free, and express shipping is quoted on a per order basis. Shipping options to outside the USA are quoted on a per order basis.
- For online streaming video products paid by a credit card, access is instantaneous.
- For online streaming video products paid by a purchase order, access is granted when the PO is received by fax, email, or mail.
This is a trick question! We currently do not offer a license for a single individual. We only offer site licenses. For enterprise licenses (multiple sites), because of the significant variation between organizations, this is quoted on a per company basis.
One of the great things about the march of computer technology is most computers can play videos without the pausing/stuttering/headaches of years past. That being said, here’s what you should probably have to assure a good viewing experience at 360PerformanceCircle.com. You will need two things:
- A good Internet connection, and…
- A computer with a moderate level of horsepower.
For our purposes, that means you have a download speed of 1.5 Mbps. This means your viewing experience will probably be free of pauses. You can test your Internet speed here: http://www.speedtest.net
As for computer horse power, here are the minimum requirements:
- Windows XP or later.
- Mac OS 10.3.9 or later.
- 1 GHz CPU
- 256 MB RAM
- 1 GB free hard disk space.
- Adobe Flash Player v7 or higher (get it free here).
- The following file types must be permitted (firewall must not block them): FLV, MP4, MP3, SWF, GIF, JPG, TXT, HTM, ASP, ASPX, JS, S, XLS
- Browsers:
- Internet Explorer version 9 or higher (Note: IE9 or later will not run on XP, you must use Chrome or Firefox).
- FireFox version 10 or higher.
- Chrome version 16 or higher.
- Safari version 5 or higher.
- Opera version 10 or higher.
First things first. Is your computer able to play videos at all? A quick way to diagnose this is go to YouTube.com and click to play a video. If not, the problem is most likely related to your computer’s settings or software.The video player we are using requires JavaScript be enabled. For various reasons, some IT departments disable JavaScript. Contact your IT department and make sure you company’s policies allow for JavaScript to be turned on. If JavaScript is permitted, go into your browser settings to turn on JavaScript.Here are a few things to try:To enable JavaScript in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google’s Chrome browser or Apple Safari, click here: http://enable-javascript.com Follow the links and steps for the browser you are using.
Some corporate policies discourage the playing of videos on work computers. One common method IT departments use to enforce this policy is to disable the playing of .mp4 files. This is the file type best suited to broadcast video across the Internet. Contact your IT department to make sure .mp4 files are not blocked on your computer and if they are, how you can get them unblocked.
This could be one of three things:
- Your computer’s processing power is near the lower end of what’s required
- Your Internet connection is slower than the 1.5 Mbps needed for smooth playback or
- You’ve got the double whammy of a slower computer and a slower Internet connection.
Luckily, there’s usually one solution to this: Press the PLAY button. Let the video buffer (meaning it downloads to your computer in preparation to play). You can see this by the progress bar moving from left to right at the bottom of the video. Once the video is downloaded, press PLAY again and playback should be smooth.
If this doesn’t work, you may have a computer which has a hard time playing back High Definition videos. Luckily, we have a solution for this as well. The 360PerformanceCircle.com video player is equipped with several versions of the same video. Select the Standard Definition video (SD) and see if that video (after buffering) plays better.
For various reasons too technical to explain here, this often happens most with Microsoft Internet Explorer, usually versions 6 and 7. Explorer recompresses the video during playback.
The best way to fix this is to use an updated browser (such as Internet Explorer 8 or later) or Chrome, Firefox or Safari.
It might sound silly, but let’s start with the basics: Make sure your volume is turned up. That means the volume in your computer settings, and also the little knob on whatever external speakers you may be using. It’s surprising how often this fixes sound problems.
Okay, assuming that didn’t fix it, there may be a problem with the sound settings/codecs in your computer. It’s time to call in your IT professional.
