87 AN ENTERPRISE OF EXCELLENCE CHAPTER FOUR please reach out to shom-support@nisc.co-op and we can help guide you through a few steps to get this up and running at your company. Catherine Kvindlog, an NISC Professional Services Specialist, had answered the question even before Members thought to ask. On the employee side of the Community, Vern Dosch provides blogs with updates about company strategy, encouragement to address challenges and gratitude for successes. In the “NISC Minute,” Jasper Schneider, Vice President, Member and Industry, interviews employees and spotlights different aspects of the company to provide an “insider’s” look. For example, he gave a quick walk-through of the NISC Annual Meeting and traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to familiarize other employees with that location. The NISC Community continues to evolve, providing intuitive navigation and easy access to the most common features. “We’re continually trying to improve and make it easier for people to access the information they need as soon as they log in,” says Tammy Eck, Enterprise Community Specialist. services without sending a service technician to visit the customer’s home or office. Now, customers who want to add a special channel to watch a movie or sporting event can order and pay for the change through SmartHub. NISC also tackled the complex- ities of incorporating a wide range of technologies, including high-definition television and cellular — and the demand for convenience remains strong. “The customer is going to have control of what they want and don’t want, and they’re going to access it from their wireless device or tablet,” says Dennis Thornock, CEO and General Manager of Custer Telephone Cooperative in Challis, Idaho. “They’re going to connect and buy services without even talking to anyone at the provider level.” Some of the smallest rural utilities in the United States have better technology tools at their fingertips than huge investor- owned utilities. That has been possible because of the steady growth of NISC — the sharing of the investment in research and development among a large group of Members. Since its release in 2009, the NISC Community continues to grow in use and content, as explained by Jasper Schneider, VP Member and Industry, at the 2016 Member Information Conference. As of 2018, the Community hosted over 26,000 registered users who can post queries, receive answers, access training material, read blogs and more.