Gough & Kelly, a provider of security products and services across the north of England, has expanded the use of SmartTask to enhance its patrol monitoring and performance reporting capabilities at a second office in Yorkshire. The company has rolled out the workforce management software to its operation in Leeds, having already achieved significant operational improvements at its York business.
“SmartTask has proved to be an invaluable tool across our manned guard, keyholding and alarm response services, especially on our contract with City of York Council, so our aim is to replicate this success at our Leeds operation,” explains Richard Cuff, Senior Operations Manager at Gough & Kelly. “When the roll-out is complete, we will be using the software for a team of 150 static and mobile security officers working across 100s of private and public sector locations. This will enable us to further streamline administrative processes, while enhancing the customer experience.”
Simplicity of the software
Initially, Gough & Kelly adopted SmartTask following a request from a customer, a boarding school in Yorkshire, for a patrol management system that would provide peace of mind that security activity was taking place. The company previously used a system that was not cloud-based and required the use of heavy and cumbersome data collectors, so they took the decision to explore alternative app-based options. SmartTask was selected because of the simplicity of the software and the breadth of information it provides.
The use of the software has since been expanded to cover the entire York operation, providing an essential tool to its main contract with City of York Council.
In 2018, Gough & Kelly secured a 10-year extension for the provision of security services covering almost 100 Council sites, made up of a diverse range of locations including offices, commercial buildings, libraries, hostels, museums, recycling centres and vacant properties. SmartTask was an important part of the retender process due to its responsive, evidence-based and KPI reporting functionality.
Electronic incident report
An electronic incident report can be submitted with additional details of identified damage and photo evidence
Using a SmartTask-enabled smartphone, static security officers scan a tag at the start and end of each patrol to capture the length and time, while an electronic incident report can be submitted with additional details of identified damage and photo evidence.
Meanwhile, mobile supervisors, responsible for alarm response and keyholding services, scan a tag to confirm proof of attendance. This creates a GPS location and timestamp, so Gough & Kelly can monitor response times and ensure they are meeting customer KPIs.
Weekly and monthly reports
Typically, Gough & Kelly is measured on completion of tasks, attendance and response times, so SmartTask generates weekly and monthly reports that are tailored to individual customer requirements. Incident reports are also supplied by 10 am the next-day, having previously been issued next-day by close of business, representing an improvement of up to eight hours.
In addition, the centralised reporting system via SmartTask enables the company to compare performance levels at different sites, identifying operational trends and areas of improvement.
Single software platform
“SmartTask has certainly made our lives easier because of all the key information that is available within a single software platform. Not only does it give us added visibility and control centrally, but also simplifies operational processes for our remote workforce, removing previous paper-based systems. It has also allowed us to enhance our staff welfare checks, providing an added layer of protection and an effective way of addressing issues,” concludes Cuff.
Paul Ridden, CEO of SmartTask commented: “We have developed a highly advanced, configurable and easy-to-use guard management, monitoring and reporting solution that puts our customers in complete control. The software can be tailored to meet individual requirements and achieve a host of efficiency, performance and compliance benefits, generating proven value and creating a point of differentiation.”
