What’s new in Award Force

by | Dec 29, 2023 | Articles

As the new year gets underway, we’re taking a moment to reflect on product development highlights. Program managers are at the forefront of everything we do, with an unyielding focus on elevating the user experience, strengthening security measures and improving functionality. Our product strategy is built on these foundational pillars so that each interaction with Award Force is exceptional.

Throughout the past year, we introduced an impressive array of 24 new features and implemented a whopping 144 product enhancements, all designed to streamline your workflow and boost efficiency. We’ve also implemented 12 accessibility improvements to ensure our software works for everyone.

Award Force was again named the #1 awards management software in the world for winter 2024, and boasts multiple best of industry titles, coming in first for customer service, fastest implementation, ease of use and best results.

For a quick recap of recent product updates, here are some of our most exciting 2023 features and improvements!

New features that defined 2023

Over the past year, Award Force rolled out a suite of new features, each contributing to the platform’s growth and adaptability. These features include:

Enterprise-grade security

Ensuring the utmost security of your awards and participants lies at the core of Award Force. Our commitment to security has taken an important step forward: we’ve earned a prestigious security certificate in 2023. Endorsed by the UK government and meticulously overseen by the National Cyber Security Centre, our Cyber Essentials certification is more than just a milestone—it’s an ongoing commitment. Subject to thorough annual assessments, it assures our continued dedication to the highest security standards. In 2023 alone, we implemented 16 robust product security enhancements. The advancements not only strengthen our platform, but also solidify the trust our customers have in us. Award Force doesn’t just meet security standards; we constantly raise the bar to protect your data.

For ease of use

1. Home page updates

The home page has been revamped for a more intuitive and useful experience, ensuring users can access critical information at a glance. Here’s a quick list of the home page improvements:

    • An exciting redesign of the layout
    • Easy navigation to the home page for logged-in users
    • Streamlined registration and login
    • Optional display of entry category information
    • Optional display of about page content and new menu
    • A new language preference selector

Read more: Streamline your entry experience with our new and improved home page

2. Enhanced video file transcoder

The video file transcoder has been upgraded to support a wider range of codecs, including Apple’s HEVC, and to speed up encoding across all video files. For Enterprise plan clients, the transcoder supports custom templates, which allows for greater control over video settings including variables such as resolution and bit rate.

For simplified awards management

3. Entry tabs copying

Program managers can now copy entry tabs along with all their associated settings and fields effortlessly, saving time and streamlining the entry process.

4. Multi-badge display and badge filter

Multiple badges and badge types can be displayed per entry in all judging views. Also, judges can filter by badge in the advanced search.

5. New languages support

Award Force has expanded language support by adding several languages in 2023, now boasting more than 30 native translations and ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for users around the globe.

6. New user role

A new bookkeeper role is available with specific, customisable workspace permissions.

Automation is key

7. Form calculations

We added a new formula field in our forms so awards managers can calculate, format or transform numerical data provided by entrants, automatically.

Read more: Automate mundane award-related tasks effortlessly with formula fields

8. API updates

In 2023, we continued to expand the Award Force API with several new endpoints available.

9. Broadcast email scheduling

Program managers can schedule broadcast emails to be sent at a specific time and date, without manually intervening.

Outstanding experience for everyone

10. TikTok videos upload

 TikTok videos can be uploaded in an entry and viewed by participants without leaving Award Force.

11. Submission deadline counter

Entrants can see how many days, hours, minutes and seconds are left before their submission deadline. This feature is optional and can be toggled on in just a few clicks.

12. Print/save judges’ feedback

Entrants can now download judges’ scores and comments using the button “Print/Save as PDF”.

What’s ahead in 2024

As we look to the future, Award Force is gearing up for even more exciting developments. Here’s a sneak peek into what lies ahead:

    1. Collaborative editing: Team members will be able to seamlessly collaborate in real-time on the same entry simultaneously, fostering a more dynamic and integrated awards management process. This feature will also streamline the process of managing permissions for multiple users, enabling them to view, edit and submit a single submission with ease.
    2. Entering multiple categories with a single application: Simplifying the submission process, users will be able to enter multiple categories with a single entry form, enhancing efficiency and reducing redundant work.
    3. Account configuration copy: Clients with or in need of multiple Award Force accounts will find it much easier to configure accounts with the ability to copy configurations, ensuring consistency and saving time.

Stepping into 2024, our commitment at Award Force stands strong – we’re here to provide a platform that not only meets but exceeds the dynamic needs of our incredible users. 

Your unwavering support and collaboration have been the powerhouse behind our innovations, and we can’t thank you enough for being an integral part of the Award Force journey. Here’s to the shared successes of 2023 and the exciting opportunities ahead in 2024. We look forward to partnering with you to recognise excellence in 2024, too!

Want to learn more about the Award Force software and how it can help power your awards to new heights? Watch our demo videos, take a self-guided tour or book a call to learn more. 

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