Digital native does not mean tech savvy

The “digital native” is a myth. Younger generations are practically born with a smartphone in their hand and 2,500 followers on Instagram. However, this inherent familiarity with and normalization of technology does not translate into proficiency with the software tools businesses rely on every day. Turns out, being able to thumb through emojis is not a transferable skill in higher education or the corporate world.

Students and young professionals are lacking technical fluency in essential technologies like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and PDF.

Show students and young professionals what they don’t know

Our program helps individuals identify and address key skill gaps in the basic office technologies they’ll be utilizing in their daily professional lives. Procertas assessments are competency-based, allowing students to focus where they need it most. Qualified and Expert-level certifications are not only a powerful benchmark of personal progress, but authoritative proof of proficiency for future employers. Best of all, we allow students to actually work with live documents on their own computers, using their own respective versions of these software packages.

An interactive learning platform with a competency-based approach

Thus far, our Legal Technology Assessment (LTA) has been Procertas’ sole product suite—featuring skills pertinent to legal associates and law school students. In the coming weeks, we will officially release our Basic Office Technology Assessment (BOTA)—which provides a broader scope of lessons for a more mainstream audience.

Both products offer a comprehensive benchmark assessment and training platform. The results can be leveraged for marketing data, professional development, team assembly, new hire onboarding, rate negotiation, and more. The primary focus of Procertas is to ensure individuals in any sector, at any stage of their career, are making the very most of the software, tools, and applications that define modern productivity.

Features

Adoption is increasing by more than 75% every year

From the largest law firm in Canada to the U.S. Department of Justice, Procertas adoption continues its sharp upward trend across entities large and small. Our LTA proof-of-concept has exceeded expectations as a viable market test among law schools and paralegal programs. As we expand into general education, BOTA is supported by a dozen verbal commitments from early adopters. We anticipate that number to reach 30 enterprise customers by the start of this upcoming school year.

Over 150 customers and growing fast

Since releasing our web-based version of the platform in October of 2017, we have on-boarded more than 80 schools and 40 companies—helping over 18,000 students master the fundamental software tools of their trade.

Software as a service

We generate income in two ways: recurring group access and individual licenses. Universities and corporations that wish to provide added value to their students and employees purchase a blanket license that covers everyone in their directory. This variable cost is paid initially and recurs on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. In an effort to make Procertas available to the masses, we’ve recently introduced the ability for anyone to buy their own license for a one-time fee—regardless of professional or educational affiliation.

As we always strive to improve and evolve our software, the substantial investment in the core platform is behind us. This allows us to operate a lean company with remote staff, minimal ongoing expenses, and very healthy net margins.

Expanding our impact

Technology is here to stay. It is estimated that the use of digital technologies could add $1.36 trillion to total global economic output by the end of 2020. The ability to use core tools, such as Word and Excel, is essential in nearly every industry. To succeed, professionals need to be competent with their day-to-day office technologies.

In under three years, we’ve cemented our presence in the legal space. Many of the world’s most prestigious law schools, law firms, and in-house counsel rely on our LTA platform to train students and staff. BOTA will build on that success to serve a vast and broader audience beyond the legal realm. From undergrads, graduates, individual job seekers to small businesses and major corporations, Procertas will empower users globally by leveling the desktop technology playing field.

It’s not even close

Our lack of direct competition gives Procertas a true advantage in the marketplace. There is an abundance of training content available. Guided, competency-based learning is what truly sets us apart from the rest. These methods are scientifically-proven to keep students engaged through hands-on participation and real-time feedback.

Upskilling the modern workforce

Through our growing library of intuitive products, we aim to lead a new standard of proficiency in the vital tools people use every day. Software is at the core of business productivity and we offer an intuitive solution for beginners to become experts in a matter of hours. By training users for technical expertise in desktop productivity, Procertas is helping companies around the country hire smarter, work better, and control their document output.

Support from Duke Law Tech Lab

Procertas has initial support from Duke Law Tech Lab.

Joseph Colucci, Co-Founder

Client and Business Development guru for Xerox, RVM, Epiq, BIA, and Inventus. Union College and Catholic University of America.

Casey Flaherty, Co-Founder

Author and speaker. Helm of the Baker McKenzies market-leading LPM function. Former in-house, outside counsel, and legal operations consultant. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.