Welcome to Maximity
IT changes rapidly and can be difficult to keep up with. Maximity helps clients stay relevant and up to date with technology through immersive and fun software training and professional consultancy/development services. Operating nationwide, Maximity was born in the year 2000 and has worked in partnership with some of the most credible business in the UK, offering bespoke training and systems solutions to suit every business need.
Learn more about our core services…
Digital Training
- Flexible Online Learning
- Instructor-led Training
- Self Paced
- Interactive and Engaging
- Affordable & Accessible
- Bespoke Online Course Creation
Whether you are a beginner, self-taught or would simply like to refresh your digital skills, Maximity has a course to suit your needs. Standard courses cover fundamentals, intermediate, and advanced levels, whilst tailored courses are designed to suit your individual business needs.
Digital Transformation
- Consultancy
- Data Analysis
- PowerApps & PowerAutomate
- Project Management
- Change Management
- IT Strategy
Digital transformation sounds very grand but essentially is the term applied to making sure you’re able to use the most appropriate technologies to help run your business, and that those technologies are set up correctly, and people understand how to use them properly. Whether you’re working on your strategic plan, or want to address a technical issue within your business, we can help.
Maximity is delighted to be part of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire’s Skills Hub’s funded training programme, offering grants to help with training or upskilling.
If your business could benefit from IT software training on packages such as Business Central, Power BI, Sage50, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Project, SharePoint, Teams, Planner or any of the Office365 apps, then call us to fast-track an application.
Microsoft Excel
Level 1
Curriculum
- Getting started with Excel
- Creating and using formulae
- Automating formulae/data with tables
- Getting used to different layouts
- Printing and print options
- Creating charts
Resources
- 22 Videos
- 9 Practical Exercises
- Excel Level 1 Workbook
- Excel Shortcut PDF
Level 2
Curriculum
- Formula and common calculations
- Data analysis tools
- Spreadsheet design
- Advanced functions
Resources
- 15 Videos
- 8 Practical Exercises
- Excel Level 2 Workbook
- Excel Shortcut PDF
Microsoft Word
Level 1
Curriculum
- Getting started with Word
- Styles - the corner stone for easy word formatting
- Essential functions to layout your document
- Inserting "things" into your document
- Support functions and printing
Resources
- 22 Videos
- 12 Practical Exercises
- Word Level 1 Workbook
Level 2
Curriculum
- Creating and using templates
- Bullets, numbering and indents
- Using colour for emphasis
- Manipulating inserted images
- Headers and footers
- Standard letters and mail merge
- Page styles and columns
- Creating pages in Web format
- Customising the toolbar
Microsoft Teams
Level 1
Curriculum
- Getting started with Teams
- Channels vs tabs
- Meetings, chats, video calls, activity
- Creating files and syncing folders – access to your documents wherever you are
- Document versions and retrieval
- Co-authoring Word, Excel, PowerPoint documents
- Working in different environments – in the team, browser, desktop or mobile
- Adding Office 365 apps to a Team
- An introduction to Planner, OneNote, PowerApps, Power Automation, O365 Admin
Resources
- 18 Videos
- 9 Practical Exercises
- Teams Level 1 Workbook
Microsoft PowerPoint
Level 1
Curriculum
- Creating a presentation file
- Entering text
- Text formatting
- Slide preview
- Saving and closing a presentation
- Opening an existing file
- Adding new slides
- Copying and moving objects
- Presentation templates
- Importing data from other sources
- Tips on professional presentations
- Printing
Level 2
Curriculum
- Using organisation charts
- The auto content wizard
- Altering the slide master
- Running a slide show
- Animation techniques
- Rulers and guides
- Adding notes and sorting slides
- Using autoshapes
- Customising the toolbars to add commonly used functions
Microsoft Outlook
Level 1
Curriculum
- Composing e-mails – etiquette and structure
- Addressing e-mails
- Sending and receiving e-mails
- Filing and managing e-mails
- Creating and managing contacts
- Using the calendar to create appointments and tasks
- Managing task lists
- Sharing appointments and tasks
- Delegating tasks and reporting progress
Microsoft Access
Level 1
Curriculum
- Database terminology explained
- Creating a database
- Working with tables
- Designing forms
- Entering data
- Exporting information from Excel
- Saving and opening databases
- Finding data with filters
- Designing and using basic reports
Level 2
Curriculum
- Maintaining databases
- Using query to analyse data from multiple databases
- Adding graphics to reports
- Using multiple sources for reports
- Creating and using macros
- Creating and using modules
Microsoft365
Level 1
Curriculum
- An introduction to Planner, Flow, forms, OneNote, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, PowerApps, M365 Admin, remote working
- The admin center
- Setting up and maintaining users
- Multi Factor Authentication
- Backups
- Internal and external security
- Risk management and GDPR considerations
- Remote working
- Maintaining synced files
- Mobile applications
Level 2
Curriculum
- An introduction to Planner, Flow, Forms, OneNote, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, PowerApps, M365 Admin, remote working
- Design and build Flows
- Maintain private and public teams
- Manage security
- Evaluate which M365 applications to use
- Reduce email dependence
- Things to watch out for
Microsoft Project
Level 1
Curriculum
- What is MS Project?
- Creating a project plan
- Tasks, resources and time scales
- Costs
- Grouping Tasks
- Task dependencies
- Creating milestones
- Printing your plan
Level 2
Curriculum
- Changing views
- Checking for bottlenecks
- Managing your plan
- Tracking changes
- Reporting
- Filtering
- Creating Links
Sage
Introduction to the Sage Report Designer
Curriculum
- The report designer layouts
- Database structures
- Designing reports
- Adding logos
- Adding filters and criteria
- Changing text layouts and fields
Sage
Introduction to Excel Integrated Reporting
Curriculum
- Setting up the link between Sage and Excel
- Inserting data ranges
- Using Sage functions within Excel
- Updating data ranges
- Designing reports in Excel
Sage
Sales and Purchase Order Processing modules
Curriculum
- Overview of Sage, navigation and integration
- Setting up customer records
- Setting up supplier records
- Creating sales invoices
- Posting purchase invoices
- Managing customer payments and credit control
- Managing supplier payments
- Reports and statements
- Invoice layout design
Sage
Sage Stock Control
Curriculum
- Creating stock records
- Creating a BOM
- Managing stock in and out
- Stock control for order processing
- Reporting
Sage
Sage Project Control
Curriculum
- Creating projects for job profitability
- Setting up resources
- Booking resources, costs and sales to projects
- Managing multi-level projects
- Reporting
Sage
Sage Payroll
Curriculum
- System setup
- Setting up employees
- Setting up pay elements
- Processing a pay run
- Reporting
- Closing the payroll period
- Processing payroll year end and updates
- Linking to Sage accounts to process Payroll journals
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts Stage 1
Curriculum
- Setting up
- Defaults
- Chart of Accounts (COA)
- Customer and Supplier Records
- Product Records
- Product Categories
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts Stage 2
Curriculum
- Posting
- Customer invoices and credit notes
- Supplier invoicing and credit notes
- Customer receipts and supplier payments
- Invoicing – Adding your logo to invoice and credit note layouts
- How to search for information using filters and find functions
- Correcting mistakes – The audit trail
- Correcting mistakes – The audit trail
- Backups
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts Stage 3
Curriculum
- Posting
- Bank receipts
- Bank payments
- Nominal journals
- Checking
- Bank reconciliation
- Credit Control
- Using the Communications tab correctly
- Credit Control view layouts
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts Stage 4
Curriculum
- How to carry out basic reporting techniques.
- How to run reports to find out what customers owe the company and what monies are owed to suppliers.
- How to use the Excel button for reporting within Sage and completing and submitting a VAT return.
- Get practical experience help and advice on how to produce the best results based on your needs.
Sage
Introduction to the Sage Report Designer
Curriculum
- The report designer layouts
- Database structures
- Designing reports
- Adding logos
- Adding filters and criteria
- Changing text layouts and fields
Sage
Introduction to Excel Integrated Reporting
Curriculum
- Setting up the link between Sage and Excel
- Inserting data ranges
- Using Sage functions within Excel
- Updating data ranges
- Designing reports in Excel
Sage
Sales and Purchase Order Processing modules
Curriculum
- Overview of Sage, navigation and integration
- Setting up customer records
- Setting up supplier records
- Creating sales invoices
- Posting purchase invoices
- Managing customer payments and credit control
- Managing supplier payments
- Reports and statements
- Invoice layout design
Sage
Sage Stock Control
Curriculum
- Creating stock records
- Creating a BOM
- Managing stock in and out
- Stock control for order processing
- Reporting
Sage
Sage Project Control
Curriculum
- Creating projects for job profitability
- Setting up resources
- Booking resources, costs and sales to projects
- Managing multi-level projects
- Reporting
Sage
Sage Payroll
Curriculum
- System setup
- Setting up employees
- Setting up pay elements
- Processing a pay run
- Reporting
- Closing the payroll period
- Processing payroll year end and updates
- Linking to Sage accounts to process Payroll journals
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts Stage 1
Curriculum
- Setting up
- Defaults
- Chart of Accounts (COA)
- Customer and Supplier Records
- Product Records
- Product Categories
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts Stage 2
Curriculum
- Posting
- Customer invoices and credit notes
- Supplier invoicing and credit notes
- Customer receipts and supplier payments
- Invoicing – Adding your logo to invoice and credit note layouts
- How to search for information using filters and find functions
- Correcting mistakes – The audit trail
- Correcting mistakes – The audit trail
- Backups
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts Stage 3
Curriculum
- Posting
- Bank receipts
- Bank payments
- Nominal journals
- Checking
- Bank reconciliation
- Credit Control
- Using the Communications tab correctly
- Credit Control view layouts
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts Stage 4
Curriculum
- How to carry out basic reporting techniques.
- How to run reports to find out what customers owe the company and what monies are owed to suppliers.
- How to use the Excel button for reporting within Sage and completing and submitting a VAT return.
- Get practical experience help and advice on how to produce the best results based on your needs.
Consultancy
Our consultancy service provides impartial business advice to help you meet your business goals and objectives through the effective use of technology.
To start, we’ll discuss what you want to achieve, so that our advice aligns with your specific business objectives.
We can then help you evaluate all aspects of your current systems strategy, to identify where improvements could be made. You can decide whether you want us to review your entire business, or to look at individual aspects or departments.
Whatever areas of your business we’re reviewing, we’ll look at the whole process, from start to finish, from how you manage your prospecting and lead generation, your products and services provision processes, your finance and accounting needs and also your reporting and KPI performance.
As well as your digital systems, we’ll also look at any corresponding manual systems so we get the full picture, to give you the best advice possible. Our aim is for you to achieve successful business change.
Data Services
Sometimes clients need our help to understand more about how their business is performing. They know they make money, but don’t always know which areas of the business are the most or least profitable. We help design and implement data analysis solutions that help our clients understand their data and turn it into information that tells a story.
If you don’t know which industry types, customers, products or services make you the most money, or which make the least, then it’s likely you’re having to make business decisions without access to real data.
We can help you understand what your stock profile looks like, and who’s most productive at service provision. We can analyse how much old stock you’re holding and what that is costing you. We can look at your fixed and variable overheads. We can calculate what profit you make per employee.
The answers to all these questions sit in your business data. We can help you make sense of it, either by training you to do the data analysis yourself, or simply by just doing it for you. With our backgrounds in system design and programming, we have a wealth of experience to help you turn your data into useful, actionable information.
PowerApps & PowerAutomate
It can be difficult sometimes to find one fully integrated software solution for an entire business, covering all its different functions. You may have a system in place that you really like, that you’ve invested a lot of money in and don’t want to ditch because it works well, but you wish it could do something extra…
That’s where Maximity can help. We work with clients to fill the gaps in their processes, whether it’s collecting data from staff who are working in the field, or capturing information from internal business processes.
We use Microsoft PowerApps, a development tool that helps us write solutions to real world business problems, helping to digitise and automate those irritating little processes and tidy up information that can end up all over the place.
PowerApps provides us with a simple and cost-effective way of bridging those gaps in automation. When used with SharePoint and PowerAutomate, there is seamless, secure access to data with some clever functionality that allows links into different applications including email, images, approvals and Teams.
Project Management
The implementation of a new computer system is often more about the management of people, habits and attitudes than it is about the technical infrastructure. So many projects go wrong because the impact of change is underestimated and poorly communicated.
Our role is to ensure that all those involved in implementing a new system understand the rules of the game. That means setting clear objectives, with milestones, that the team understands. It involves effective communication with everyone, not just those directly involved in the implementation. Above all, it’s about managing things when they don’t go to plan. Which will happen! And it’s also about understanding the impact of anything that goes wrong, so the project plan can be revised and brought back on track. Or alternatively, that a new plan can be created to reflect the new reality.
Good project managers can assess risk, discuss it, mitigate it and communicate it. By understanding what’s on track, and what has gone off course they can hold people to account.
Maximity has PRINCE2 qualified staff with project and programme management experience to help you get the best possible results from your implementation.
Change Management
Change management often follows project management.
Once a project has ‘gone live’ many suppliers and contractors tend to walk away thinking their job is done, and the customer thinks everything will magically work because the project team has been working on the configuration of it, and staff have had their training.
But, just because someone has had training doesn’t mean they understand a system. There’s often a nervousness about using new system, plus a resistance to change. At Maximity, we address this (and more) with our change management programmes.
Years of experience has taught us that it’s only once a new system is in place that people really start to understand it. It’s when they suddenly have to use the new system to process a refund, or deal with a part delivery, or look for a stock record that should have been transferred and somehow wasn’t. This is when the real work begins.
How accompany manages this is make or break for the credibility of the system, as well as the people who were involved with its implementation. And that’s where we can help.
IT Strategy
A strategy is simply a planned way forward. It’s not a long winded, never to see the light of day document because they don’t work. It’s not something that should cost the earth and still be wrong. A genuine strategy guides you and your business in a focused direction that supports what you are trying to achieve. We’re living in a highly digital world with new technologies emerging at a rate that far outstrips most businesses ability or desire to keep up. There’s a term in tech called the ‘hype cycle’ that describes the path for new technologies, starting with huge anticipation of what problems the technology could solve, followed by the realisation that the problems of getting it to market outweigh the potential benefits, to slowly building the technology to a point where it’s able to add value. This means that emerging technology takes a few years to come to market and it’s usually the risk takers that will adopt early on. But there comes a point where technologies achieve mass adoption, and if you are behind this curve you start to put your business at risk.
An IT strategy will give you the clarity to know what technologies are best for your company. It will help you manage your expenditure and put you back in control of the systems that run your business and ultimately calculate your overall financial performance.
Why does an IT strategy matter?
1. Because it is often the difference between you and your competition.
2. Because it can keep your business alive.
3. Because it should enhance the way your business runs, including supporting your culture, communication and learning, as well as managing your day-to-day transactional data from emails to orders to invoicing to payments.
- 50 + Years proven experience
- Delivered significant change
- Delivered IT strategy
- Driven client success
- Tech crisis recovery
As a West Midlands based business, Maximity has been established since the year 2000 and has provided some of the most reputable and credible businesses nationwide with exceptional training and systems transformation services. Founded by Managing Director Tracy Pound, we’re proud to set a standard in the highly competitive, demanding and unexpected world of technology.
Maximity provides professional, innovative, friendly and cost effective IT solutions. We focus on total client satisfaction through the delivery of our first class training and consultancy services. Maximity is committed to working in partnership with both clients and suppliers to add value in an environment of mutual respect and professionalism. Maximity is dedicated to life long learning and self development in support of achieving a healthy work / life balance.
Contact Maximity
If you would like any help or advice on:
- Digital Transformation
- Training (Virtual, In-person, Online)
- Delivered IT strategy
- Driven client success
- Tech crisis recovery
