Episode Description:

In this episode of Accreditation Made Easy, Areaka focuses on practical end-of-year tasks that can quietly set the stage for a smoother accreditation year ahead. Instead of waiting for January to reset, this conversation walks through intentional planning steps you can take now to reduce stress, improve organization, and create momentum before the new year begins.

Timestamps:

0:00 Why end-of-year planning matters

0:41 Shifting the mindset from January resets to year-end preparation

1:23 Setting proof collection goals before the new year

2:04 Resetting time-sensitive tasks to align with the calendar year

2:46 Communicating upcoming accreditation dates early

3:29 Planning internal mock reviews and file check-ins ahead of time

4:16 Committing to professional growth in the coming year

4:55 Conducting a quick year-end file health check

5:37 Cleaning up outdated tasks and reducing mental clutter

6:19 Final encouragement and offer to help

Companion document to download: End-of-Year Tasks

Connect with Areaka

🙋‍♀️ Digital Business Card

🌐 Website

🔗 LinkedIn

📘 Facebook

Know someone doing great things in the accreditation world—or want to share your own insights? We’re always looking for experienced Accreditation Managers, assessors, and change-makers to join us on the podcast. Sign up to be a guest or share with a colleague

Description:

In this episode of Accreditation Made Easy, Areaka walks through two closely connected topics that can dramatically impact how assessors experience your files. First, she explains how to choose the best proof available and why clarity, completeness, and legibility matter more than most agencies realize. Then, she shares a hard-earned lesson on why printing documents using Microsoft Print to PDF can resolve common issues like blurry text, shifted formatting, and unreadable proofs once they’re uploaded into PowerDMS. This episode is packed with practical advice straight from real assessor and accreditation manager experience.

Timestamps:

0:00 Welcome to Accreditation Made Easy

0:47 Why proof quality matters to assessors

1:19 Introduction to the two-part topic

1:52 Choosing proofs with the assessor in mind

2:25 Common issues assessors face when reviewing proofs

2:58 Recommended formats for proofs

3:28 Ensuring proofs are complete and accurate

3:56 The value of mock assessments

4:32 Transition to PDF formatting lessons learned

5:04 Real-world PowerDMS rendering issues

5:32 Microsoft Print to PDF explained

6:05 Why flattening documents works

6:37 When to use Print to PDF (and when not to)

7:04 Revisiting existing proofs only when needed

7:30 Key takeaway on proof quality and presentation

8:04 Companion documents overview

8:29 Episode wrap-up

Companion documents to download:

Best Proof Available

Best Option for PDFs

Connect with Areaka

🙋‍♀️ Digital Business Card

🌐 Website

🔗 LinkedIn

📘 Facebook

Know someone doing great things in the accreditation world—or want to share your own insights? We’re always looking for experienced Accreditation Managers, assessors, and change-makers to join us on the podcast. Sign up to be a guest or share with a colleague

Description:

Hyperlinks are one of the most powerful — and underrated — features inside PowerDMS. In today’s episode, Areaka breaks down exactly how to add them the right way, why “smart hyperlinks” matter, and the simple setup choices that save assessors time (and prevent accidental lockouts). If you’ve ever added links that opened in the same window or lost your place in an assessment — this episode is a must-listen.

Timestamps:

0:31 Welcome + why hyperlinks matter

1:05 When hyperlinks make more sense than uploaded documents

1:32 Navigating to your standard + where to begin

2:01 Choosing New Rich Text + naming your attachment

2:24 Linking to the correct part of the standard

2:56 Critical: cursor placement before hyperlinking

3:19 Using the Hyperlink Manager correctly

3:49 Why clean link titles are better than full URLs

4:18 The second “smart hyperlink” rule: Target = New Window

5:13 Why this saves assessors time

5:38 Previewing and testing your hyperlink

5:58 Free plug-and-play required references for Florida agencies

6:51 How automatic updates work

7:18 Why the plug-and-play system feels like “magic”

7:45 Episode wrap-up and next steps

Companion Document to Download:

Hyperlinks – How To Add

Connect with Areaka

🙋‍♀️ Digital Business Card

🌐 Website

🔗 LinkedIn

📘 Facebook

Know someone doing great things in the accreditation world—or want to share your own insights? We’re always looking for experienced Accreditation Managers, assessors, and change-makers to join us on the podcast. Sign up to be a guest or share with a colleague