Background to the profiles-r-us.com site

In late 1999, Team Publications/Training Solutions Group recognized that the Internet was likely to become a primary vehicle for individuals and groups to undertake management assessment questionnaires and profiles (as opposed to completing self-scoring paper and pencil questionnaires). With a total of 24 published assessment profiles in paper form in its portfolio, it was determined that all of these should be available on-line. Wherever possible or appropriate, this would mean including 360° capability as added functionality.

Although profiles-r-us.com Pty Ltd (and the web site of the same name) was established at the beginning of 2000, it was already known that a number of management test publishers had made their assessments available electronically via e-mail on the Internet (and that more would join them very quickly). The strategy for profiles-r-us.com was therefore to go beyond other on-line offerings in three major ways. These were:

a) in terms of technology
b) in terms of breadth and quality
c) in terms of usefulness for overall organizational development

a) Technological advantage
Every instrument on the profiles-r-us.com site is designed to be simply utilized, with HTML reports coming immediately to screen and reports immediately printable by the user (either printing an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file or attaching it to e-mail). A full suite of database queries and tools are also available to allow further analysis. The site is designed to be as user friendly as possible and to run on multiple system platforms.

b) Breath and Quality
The goal for the profiles-r-us.com site is to offer "best of breed" assessments for every organizational development need. As at April 2001, the site has 32 assessments designed and developed by multiple authors and already highly successful and popular in the marketplace (as well as independently well regarded and with high levels of perceived credibility). By April 2002 this number is expected to be 45 (with a range of best selling third party instruments from around the world) giving the site a high quality breadth of questionnaires for use in a wide variety of situations and circumstances.

c) Usefulness for organizational development
Rather than to provide a wide list of different assessments without application guidelines or categorisation or some sort, the profiles-r-us.com site aims to support eight major organizational development processes in specific. This is achieved by including instruments that are selected to be 'best of breed' in their respective areas or that have been designed specifically for a particular purpose or need in their electronic form.