Practical Training with Step-by-step Tutorials

June 2026 - Training / Productivity

Improve productivity and simplify daily workflows with the new FocalPoints step-by-step training system. The new tutorials provide clearer procedural guidance, integrated FAQs, and Terminology sections to support real manufacturing operations effectively. Discover our training →

For years, our video tutorial platform supported FocalPoints users with practical training for ordering and manufacturing workflows in day-to-day laboratory operations. When the third-party platform hosting the tutorials was unexpectedly discontinued, we faced an important decision. We could simply recreate the previous system, or use the opportunity to rethink how training should support modern specialty contact lens laboratories. We chose the second approach. The result is a completely redesigned step-by-step training environment focused on clarity, structure, and practical usability during real production activities.

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Why we Moved Beyond Video Tutorials

Video tutorials remain useful for demonstrations and initial onboarding. However, over time we observed a recurring challenge common to many software training environments: videos are often difficult to follow while performing a task. In production environments, users rarely watch an entire tutorial from beginning to end. More commonly, they pause, rewind, search through timelines, or replay sections while trying to complete a procedure. We understood that written instructions provide faster information retrieval because users can immediately jump to the exact step they need without replaying content.

Designed for Real Workflows

The new training system focuses on clarity and usability during day-to-day operations. Each tutorial is organized into clear procedural steps with supporting visuals and explanations, allowing users to follow instructions while actively working inside FocalPoints. Unlike video timelines, written procedures remain continuously visible and can be reviewed at the user’s own pace. The tutorials continue to be accessible directly from the FocalPoints main menu, ensuring the same accessibility as before. Mobile access also makes the tutorials more practical on the production floor, allowing operators to consult procedures directly from their phone when working at equipment that does not have immediate access to a PC.

Clear Visual Alerts for Faster Understanding

To further simplify complex procedures, the new tutorials also include integrated visual alerts designed to immediately highlight important operational information. These alerts help users quickly identify critical warnings, recommendations, and workflow considerations without needing to scan large amounts of text. This makes tutorials easier to consult during active production tasks while helping reduce configuration mistakes and improving overall clarity during training.

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More than a Format Change

Beyond the transition from video tutorials to step-by-step instructions, the new training system has also been expanded with additional tools designed to simplify the learning experience. Each tutorial now includes dedicated FAQ sections that address common operational questions and recurring support scenarios. In addition, every tutorial now features a structured Terminology section. Because specialty contact lens manufacturing often involves technical language and workflow-specific concepts.

Raw Blank

A lens blank requiring cutting of both back and front surfaces.

Precut Blank

A lens blank with an already finished base curve requiring only front surface cutting.

Expansion Coefficient

A value used to compensate for hydration changes in soft materials during manufacturing.

Automatic Translation in Any Language

One of the most important improvements is automatic multilingual translation. Tutorials can now be accessed in virtually any language, making training easier for global teams and reducing the need for separate localized content. As FocalPoints continues supporting laboratories across more than 35 countries, this helps ensure more consistent onboarding, operational alignment, and knowledge transfer worldwide.

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Read tutorial in your language → 🌐 Auto-translation

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A More Efficient Way to Support Operations

One of the key advantages of step-by-step documentation is speed of access. Users can immediately locate a specific procedure, verify a configuration step, or review part of a workflow without interrupting their work to navigate through a video. This approach also improves long-term maintainability. As workflows evolve and software features expand, written tutorials can be updated more quickly and precisely. For laboratories onboarding new operators or supporting multilingual teams, structured written guidance also provides a clearer and more consistent operational reference during day-to-day production activities.

• You have now learned a new FocalPoints workflow!

Continuously Expanding Training Resources

We have already recreated the entire library of previous video tutorials, using the opportunity to review, refine, and improve the content throughout the process. Each tutorial has been updated with additional attention to clarity, structure, and practical usability during real production workflows. Our objective is not simply to replace existing material, but to build a more effective and scalable training environment that continues to evolve alongside the software itself. As the library grows, we aim to provide laboratories with even more operational guidance and support tools to improve efficiency, consistency, and workflow management.

Over the past month, we worked non-stop to redesign and migrate the entire FocalPoints training library into a new structure built entirely in-house. By replacing videos with step-by-step tutorials, we transformed training into a practical resource that is easier to use, and better aligned with the way Labs work every day.

Filippo Selden, CEO Advance