It's been over a year since we last posted about what's changed at VeriSky. We've been working tirelessly to improve features, fix bugs, and give everyone who uses our product the best experience possible. There are some updates we made that are worth explicitly calling out - so here are the top items on that list.

First, on the security front: we previously only encrypted logged in and sensitive pages. That has been upgraded to full site encryption, even extending to the blog you're reading. That means everything is encrypted during transit, so you'll maintain a secure connection to the VeriSky site the entire time you're on it.

The Manager role has been expanded. To start, Managers can now be assigned to templates. If they are and that template is used, then they will automatically be assigned to the resulting event or probation. Managers can also be assigned directly to chapters, with similar results: if a chapter creates an event, then their Manager will be auto-assigned.

Related to that, there is also an entirely new feature, the "Manage Chapter(s)" page. This allows anyone with access to one or more chapters to see all their details and Leaders in one place, which includes the chapter archive. Admins can use this page to modify chapter details like the name and designation, if those ever change for some reason. It's also a powerful tool for helping bring new volunteers and officers up to speed.

Tasks have been changed to allow for more control. Task due dates are no longer restricted to the future - they can be moved to any time, including the past. Tasks can now be edited even after they've been submitted by a leader, and they can also be deleted even after publishing. The language for the task "verify," "approve," and "reject" buttons can now be customized per dashboard, and the interface for those buttons has been greatly simplified. This allows for better management of the entire process around completing tasks.

Lastly, you'll notice a few additions to the user account page. First, all email notification preferences have been moved there, so they are in a single, unified location. The preferences are also more fine-grained than they were before, allowing for better control of which notifications are sent. You'll also find that you can directly upload a profile picture to VeriSky - no more need to use third-party services if you don't want to.

Those are the big items. There's a slew of other updates we made throughout the year, including some pretty massive speed enhancements. There will be more to come as we continue to improve. In the meantime, let us know if you have any questions or ideas for how we can keep making VeriSky better!

Scheduled Maintenance Alert

There is maintenance scheduled for this Sunday, July 5, starting at 10 PM EDT. We expect it to last for a couple hours. The logged in site will be unavailable during that time. Read on to learn more about why this is happening.

Reasons for Maintenance

This is the first time in VeriSky's history that the site is undergoing planned downtime. We normally release updates to the site a couple times a week without ever interrupting service. At our busiest we've pushed updates five or six times a day and no one has noticed. This is something we pride ourselves on, so why does the site have to go down this time?

The basic reason is this: we've outgrown our database architecture. When we originally designed the database schema we had certain use cases in mind. Every decision made sense at the time given what we knew. But now our users are on the site every day using it in ways we couldn't foresee. Our data looks different, our features are different, so our needs are different.

We would normally roll this out in smaller chunks, but in this case how the site fundamentally works is changing, and there's so much data that we cannot migrate it instantaneously. Once we knew there was going to be any downtime, we purposefully included every optional improvement that would've also required downtime, so all the changes would be consolidated into a single maintenance period. We believe that these updates will enable us to have a fast product capable of everything we want to do for long into the future.

If you have any questions about this process or want a more technical explanation of what's going on behind the scenes please feel free to contact us.

Other Recent Improvements

Finally, I want to highlight some changes that are already live that you might not have noticed:

• All logged in traffic is now encrypted. We previously allowed encryption on any page and only forced it on sensitive pages. Now in an effort to be more secure and ensure the privacy of the data in our system everything is encrypted once you log in, including the log in and registration processes themselves.
• Improved accessibility. In an effort to make the site more accessible we have added a "skip navigation" link and made it easier to move around the site without needing a mouse.
• Better support for time and date questions in surveys. Some older browsers didn't have baked-in support for these fields, so we're now manually supporting those cases ourselves. There are also better examples to help users answer these questions.
• Managers can now add and remove leaders. This minor change to how permissions work will help make sure only the users that should have access do.
• Managers can be assigned to all tasks at once. Previously managers could be assigned to all unassigned tasks at once. We've simplified that so managers can be assigned everywhere, regardless of the task's current state.

Over the past year we have quietly rolled out an event planning product that has changed the way fraternity and sorority chapters register events with their headquarters and student affairs office. Many campuses and headquarters require chapters to register events such as socials, mixers, formals, and exchanges prior to hosting an event. Usually the process looks something like this:

The entire process is complicated, time-consuming and inefficient. We have talked with some headquarters that have had to hire additional full-time staff just to handle chapter event registration. Some Greek Advisors have stated that they spend so much time reviewing event registration paperwork each week that it interferes with their other responsibilities such as developing educational programming and advising students. Many mid-sized headquarters and campuses we have spoken with are receiving 40-70 event registration forms per month and on average, each event requires an additional 5-7 supporting documents such as proof of liability insurance from a third party vendor, transportation and DJ contracts, copies of liquor licenses, and guest lists. On the low end, over 200 documents are changing hands each month through email, fax, and snail mail just to ensure that chapters are having safe events.

With guidance and support from our customers, we have developed a solution that has revolutionized the event planning process. VeriSky provides a central location for submitting, reviewing and approving documents. Our intuitive dashboard offers integrated communication tools and automatic notifications and reminders to students, staff, and volunteers. By automating many of the time-consuming processes outlined in the flow chart above, we have reduced hours of work into mere minutes.

VeriSky has simplified the process into 4 quick and easy steps:

Click here to learn more about our event planning product or schedule a demo today to see it in action!

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new website. After a couple years of focusing on product development and user experience, we decided it was finally time to give our marketing website a complete makeover. We hope you love the new site and would love to hear your feedback. Here are some of the major highlights:

A New Logo

The first thing you will notice is our brand new logo. The name VeriSky comes from the idea that we provide "verification in the sky" or in other words, we provide cloud-based software for the verification and approval of documents. Of course, VeriSky has evolved into so much more since the early days, but we wanted to redesign our logo around this simple concept that is still at the core of our products. The new logo is both simple and professional; we hope you like it as much as we do.

A Focus on Risk Management

Like most start-ups, VeriSky spent several years developing and testing many different product concepts, pivoting multiple times along the way. Our goal has always been to help Fraternity and Sorority professionals save time and money, while increasing efficiency and transparency within their respective department. While we have enjoyed building products for expansion teams, consultant staffs, and accreditation programs, we have found that our greatest impact is in the area of risk management. Properly managing, tracking and analyzing chapter disciplinary sanctions and event planning paperwork has had a drastic impact on the organizations using VeriSky. We have been able to facilitate better dialogue between chapter leaders, volunteers and headquarters staff through our collaborative management system as well as ensure timely submission, review, and approval of important documents. We believe that VeriSky is the future of proper risk management practices and have dedicated our time to focusing on improving these products. Learn more about our Event Planning and Chapter Discipline Products or schedule a sales demo to get started with a 30 day free trial.

Responsive Design and Easier Navigation

As users move more and more toward mobile, so are we. The new marketing site includes a responsive design that makes viewing it on a mobile device much easier. Our software still works best on a PC or large tablet, but we hope to have a mobile version in the future. We've also simplified the site while adding tons of content. The navigation bar has been redesigned to help get you to the right place faster. Current users should have an easier time logging into their accounts from the homepage and we have plans to drastically beef up our support page in the near future.

Product Improvements

In addition to the new marketing site, we also have been hard at work making our products faster and more reliable. VeriSky has changed drastically since its initial launch. It became painfully obvious as we added robust features and our user base continued to grow that the original site was not designed to take on such a heavy load. Instead of continuing to put band-aids on the problem, we decided to rebuild our products from the ground up, literally replacing every line of code. This has taken a long time and has undergone rigorous testing, but the results will drastically improve load times for users, produce fewer bugs, and allow for some awesome new features that were not possible in the past. Some of this new code has already been rolled out and the rest will be rolled out slowly to ensure a smooth transition and limited bugs. While we anticipate the majority of users will be just fine, bugs are inevitable and we will try to squash them as quickly as possible. If you experience any issues, please do not hesitate to report them to support@verisky.com.

We hope you enjoy all of the changes and as always, we would love to hear your feedback!

Yes folks. We have decided to slip in one more update as September officially comes to a close. In addition to several minor enhancements and bug fixes, we are rolling out three new features.

Attach a Document to a Project

Whether you are looking to upload a Charge Letter to a chapter probation, a Consultant Report to a list of chapter goals, or a Colony Development Guide to a colony petition, we have you covered. Until now, document uploads were restricted to individual requirements, but Admins and Overseers may now attach an unlimited number of documents to the overall project.

To upload a document, select a project from the list and click on "view details" near the top of the dashboard. Once the details expand, you will see several options, including "Attach New Document." Clicking on this will allow you to select a file from your computer to attach. You may attach as many files as you would like. Managers and Student Leaders may access these files from the details section of their dashboard.

Assign a "Point Person"

Several organizations have asked us to allow for a "point person" to be assigned to each project. This point person does not receive any additional functionality beyond their role as an admin or overseer, but this feature serves to main purposes:

1. The assigned point person is essentially in charge of that particular project. With multiple admins and overseers inhabiting the people list, assigning a point person avoids confusion by letting other users know who to contact with questions.
2. Assigning yourself as a point person on the projects that you are leading will help you to organize your dashboard. All of the projects that you are assigned to will show up first in your list. All other projects will be hidden unless you click on "view all sanctions."

To assign a point person to all existing projects, follow these easy steps: select a project from the list, select "view details" at the top of the dashboard, click on "edit info," and then assign a point person from the drop-down list. Only admins and overseers may be assigned as a point person. When creating a new project, you will be able to select a point person during the creation process.

Edit Published Projects

A long awaited feature has finally arrived. You may now add and edit requirements within a published project. While there are some restrictions, admins and overseers now have the ability to edit the title, description, due date, and manager on existing requirements. Admins and overseers may also add additional requirements to the list. It is important to note that while edits and additions may be made after publication, requirements may not be deleted after a project has been published. It is also important to note that every time an edit is made, a note is placed in the activity feed that will notify all other users of the change.

As always, we want to hear your feedback. Do you like these new features? What would you like to see next? Please email support@verisky.com with your questions, comments, concerns, or genius ideas. We are listening!

A couple days ago, we announced the implementation of read-only privileges for administrators. Along with the release of this brand new feature, we also pushed several additional updates. See below for details:

• Added an option to assign read-only privileges to administrators
• Fixed a bug that prevented Safari users from logging in during rare circumstances
• When signing in, email addresses are no longer case-sensitive
• Updated language in Privacy Policy to include new dashboard types
• Fixed some issues with automatic pluralization of headers
• Upgraded blog security and spam filters
• Several other minor bug fixes, security improvements, and background enhancements

In this week's update, you will notice the introduction of view-only privileges that may be assigned to administrators. We will be introducing these view-only privileges to other user types in the future, but for now, we want to share some best practices for using this new function:

Board Members — Does your board of directors want to have access to your dashboards? Are you worried they may accidentally change, add, or delete something? We are too. Give them "view only" privileges and they will be able to view all of your organization's data without being able to change a thing. We think your board will enjoy seeing up-to-the-second progress on high profile probations and colony petitions.

Committees — Do you have a committee that oversees discipline or expansion or accreditation? Do you want them to be able to view the progress that your staff is making? Invite them in without the fear of anything being deleted.

Executive Staff — Do you have an Executive Director that likes to have a finger on the pulse of every area of operations. Not a problem. Just check the little box to give him or her "view only" privileges to all of your dashboards.

Look for more great updates coming soon!

Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you. Contact support or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

User types have always been what separates VeriSky from other services. We want to provide organizations with privacy and flexibility, while also giving them a platform for collaboration. When VeriSky first launched over a year ago, we did so with four user types: Admin, Overseer, Manager, and Student Leader. Over the past year, through user feedback and hard data, we have come to realize that some changes needed to be made to the Overseer user type.

The Old Overseer

The original intention of the overseer user type was to give board members, executive staff, and high level committee members access to all of the organization's data, without the ability to create, edit, or delete anything within the system. We imagined board members logging in to see the progress made by those chapters serving disciplinary sanctions or the progress that colonies were making toward becoming a chapter. For one reason or another, this user type accounts for less than 2% of the total users in VeriSky. Of that 2%, we found that Overseers have spent the least amount of time on the site and many have only logged in once.

The New Overseer

Since the Overseer was being completely underutilized, we decided to ask our customers what they thought. We found that there was an emerging need for a new user type, so we gave the old Overseer a new role and a bit more power. With the emergence of several new dashboard types available to our customers, they are now managing up to five dashboards at one time. The new overseer fills the role of a product manager. We have given them the ability to create, edit, and delete items (similar to the admin), but we have restricted them only to the dashboard(s) where they have been assigned. We have also restricted the Overseer's access to admin options and settings, as well as their ability to invite other admins and overseers to the system. An Admin now has the ability to assign a Director of Expansion as an Overseer on the Expansion Dashboard and a Director of Accountability as the Overseer on the Discipline Dashboard. They both have complete control over their respective dashboards, but cannot make any changes or edits to the other dashboards that the organization is using. This extra level of management allows the organization to assign fewer administrators and delegate Overseers to manage each individual dashboard.

Great! Now what should I do?

If your organization has previously assigned an Overseer, we recognize that this change affects you. We suggest taking one of the following actions as soon as possible:

1. If it turns out that the product manager role is suited for your current Overseers, feel free to leave them as an overseer on the account. Make sure that they are listed in the people section on the appropriate dashboard(s). They will have the ability to create, edit, and delete information within each of the dashboards where they are listed as an Overseer.
2. If you do not want your Overseers to have the ability to create, edit, or delete information on any of your dashboards, you may delete their account entirely. We will be working on a solution in the coming months that will allow you to restrict editing ability to individual users, but for now, you may add these individuals as managers to any projects that you would like them to be able to view.

You may also find that your organization has several admins on the account that would be better suited as an Overseer on one or multiple dashboards. To do this, go to the people section and click on the edit button by the individual's name. A box will pop up that will allow you to change their role from Admin to Overseer. They will be removed as an admin on all other dashboards and will just have access to the dashboard where you have assigned them. If you would like them to be an Overseer on multiple dashboards, you may add them by clicking "Invite Overseer" on any dashboard and entering their email address.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact support. We would love to hear your feedback. Leave us a comment, shoot us an email, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

We have been hard at work this summer creating a better experience for our users. The new VeriSky is a cleaner, faster, completely redesigned interface that we hope will make your life easier. Over the next few weeks, you will notice several changes to the VeriSky dashboard as we push out a series of 3 to 4 major updates. We are very excited about these changes and hope that you like them as much as we do. Please take a minute to check out some of the enhancements below.

Main Dashboard

Our number one goal while redesigning the main dashboard was to simplify. We focused on eliminating extra text, removing unnecessary features, and rearranging data and buttons to be as intuitive as possible. While this update is only the first step in simplifying your experience, we believe that you will be happy with the changes.

You'll notice that the old notification feeds have moved to the right side and have all been combined into one simple activity feed. Adding new projects and people is easier than ever. The scattered buttons from the old version have been rearranged and made into simple blue icons. Easy to find and easy to use. You'll also notice that we have removed a lot of the text on the page, increased the font size, and modernized the font style.

Chapter Dashboard

When redesigning the chapter dashboard, we did it with each individual user in mind. When Jane Smith logs into the system, whether she is a student, a manager, or an administrator, she is focused on completing the tasks that have been assigned to her. With that in mind, every change we have made (and will make over the next few weeks) is intended to provide pertinent information to the individual user. A manager logging into the system wants to see the three requirements that she needs to approve right at the top of her list, while a student leader is more interested in the items that are due in the next couple days. Each user plays a unique role and therefore deserves a unique dashboard that is tailored specifically to his or her needs.

This update includes a lot of changes to the chapter dashboard. In the old version, there was a lot of unnecessary text taking up prime real estate on the screen. Whether you are managing a probation, an expansion petition, or an accreditation application, creating and managing requirements is easier than ever. Clicking on "View Details" at the top of the screen will open up a new section that includes introduction text, reports, and a viewable calendar. Clicking "View Details" on any of the individual requirements will give you instant access to all of the pertinent information regarding that requirement, as well as the chat screen, documents, and support materials.

You will also notice that the old statuses (complete, incomplete, past due, etc.) have been replaced by a much more useful status. The system will now tell you which user the requirement is waiting on in order for it to be completed.

Administrator Menu

Hovering over your picture in the top right of the screen will now bring drop a menu with several new options. In addition to being able to change your account details, add a profile picture, and customize email notifications for your organization, you will also notice two other options: Reports and Analytics. Reports simply allows you to extract raw data from the system into a spreadsheet for staff meetings, board meetings, permanent files, etc. We are always developing new reports and are happy to develop custom reports on request. Analytics is a brand new feature and we are excited to hear your feedback.

Analytics

As if file management, automatic notifications, and report generation aren't enough, we have begin working on the future of VeriSky. In a world full of raw data, we wanted to provide you with something more. Analytics provides a visual look into all of your data. While the beta version only has a handful of charts and graphs to peruse, the possibilities are endless. Imagine being able to see a 10 year history of your discipline data complete with charts, graphs, and maps. Our ultimate goal is to provide your organization with a full suite of analysis tools that aid in reviewing historical data, benchmarking, and developing projections. Analytics is still in its infancy and we need your help in order for it to reach its full potential. Please provide feedback to support@verisky.com.

Stay tuned for much, much more in the coming weeks. We are very excited about the new VeriSky and would love to hear what you think. If your organization isn't currently using VeriSky for tracking and collaborating on paperwork, please contact us about a demo and free trial.

Last month we announced the introduction of two new dashboards to help organizations manage their expansion and accreditation services. This month we are happy to announce several new features and improvements that were developed to make our user's experience faster and more efficient. We continue to put an emphasis on efficiency, collaboration, and transparency; hopefully that is evident in this update.

Improved Collaboration

We believe that collaboration between students, staff, and volunteers is absolutely crucial for the development of a chapter. One of the most popular features that we have developed to date is the Activity Feed. This feature gives all parties the ability to communicate with one another using VeriSky, eliminating the need for frequent emails and conference calls. Completing a requirement for a probation, colony petition, or accreditation application is significantly easier when students can solicit help from their network of professionals and volunteers with the click of a button.

We have made some significant changes to the activity feed that we hope you will enjoy. First, you will notice that we have eliminated the old popup comment box and instead, all comments are made inline with the other comments in the activity feed. We have also added functionality for users to upload documents along with their comment. This will allow for easier sharing of resources and provide managers an opportunity to edit documents and provide feedback right on the dashboard.

Simpler Submissions

This update is for the students. We recognize that the submission process can be a bit confusing and we have taken the first step in simplifying this process. In the past, uploading support materials and submitting those materials for approval were two completely separate processes. We have combined them into one simple process that should make it significantly easier for students to submit the necessary support materials for each requirement. Clicking on the big green "submit for verification" button will bring up a small popup window where students can attach the final version of their support material, leave a comment, and submit for approval. The comment and file will both appear in the activity feed inline with all of the other comments. As we continue to simplify the process for students and managers, we expect that all actions will take place within the activity feed. Do you have an idea about how we can simplify this process even more? Please email us at support@verisky.com and tell us your idea!

Manager Swap & Due Date Extensions

The best web tools give users the power to complete any type of task without the need for human support. Think about Facebook, Twitter, or any other popular web-based service. When you want to post a comment, upload a photo, change your privacy settings, invite friends, or input payment information you can do so with the click of your mouse. When was the last time you called Facebook HQ to let them know that you would like to post a status update? If you were thinking anything other than "never," you probably shouldn't be using Facebook. To this point, we want to ensure that everything you want to do on VeriSky can be done on your own, without the need for a VeriSky employee.

Manager swap and due date extensions are two new features that do just this. Administrators now have the ability to swap out a manager at anytime, even after publication. This is very useful in the case that a volunteer steps down from his or her position, the Greek Adviser is promoted, or new staff members are added to the team. To swap out a manager, an admin can select the change link next to the current manager's name and select any new manager to replace her. Managers will remain active in the system even if they are swapped out. To delete a manager, users can go to the user list at the bottom of the dashboard and choose to remove them from the organization's dashboard permanently.

Another feature that has been requested by several users is the ability to grant due date extensions. How many times has a student asked for an extension on a requirement due to finals, a formal, or Greek week? To many to count, I'm sure. For this purpose, we want to allow administrators and managers who are assigned to the requirement the ability to grant extensions. To be fair to the student leaders, dates prior to the original due date may not be selected, but any date following the original due date may be selected.

What else would you like to be able to do with VeriSky? Let us know!

Advanced Notification Settings

We understand that an empty inbox is a happy inbox, but for those of you that want to receive email notifications every time a comment is made or a file is uploaded, we are happy to do so. Individual users now have the ability to control some of their automatic notification preferences as well as email preferences regarding emails from us about product updates and new features.

Administrators will also find a new "admin options" section that allows them to further customize reminder emails for everyone in their organization. We will continue to add additional tools to this section that give admins even more power to customize the experience for their organization. What admin tools would you like to see added in a future update? Let us know!

Join us on Facebook

Social media has become the go-to source for up to the minute news, updates, and announcements. We'd like to invite you to like our page on facebook, and if you do the Twitter thing, feel free to follow us @VeriSkyLLC.