SmartTask - Experts & Thought Leaders

Tatry Group has invested in SmartTask software to support its Operations, HR, and Finance teams with automated employee scheduling, proof of attendance, and holiday, sickness, and absence management. SmartTask is used by Tatry’s frontline teams and managers for accurate capturing of all working hours data which ensures correct payroll and customer invoices. The mobile workforce at Tatry Group logs in to shifts using the SmartTask app. The operations team manage the workforce hours, ensuring that shifts deliver against the agreed contracts. Absences and missed shifts (no-shows) are accurately recorded, both to meet agreed SLAs and ensure the wellbeing of staff. This is particularly key for security staff and lone workers, where ensuring safety at all times when on-site is a duty of care requirement. Streamlining internal processes Jonathan Sisk, Managing Director at Tatry said: “We have been using SmartTask since we opened our business, and it's a very powerful tool to utilise within the cleaning and security industry. It has been a key element of how we work as a business and has enabled us to streamline the internal processes to meet our client's needs. Our operations teams can quickly make adjustments to shifts, check in on our security teams and provide shift cover.” Using SmartTask for roster and work scheduling enables the managers to plan ahead Using SmartTask for roster and work scheduling enables the managers to plan ahead for employee annual leave, ensuring that shifts are always covered for the teams. Since deploying the software, the administration time spent on weekly client shift scheduling has been significantly reduced, taking just 20 minutes, instead of 2-5 hours per week previously. Managers can also forecast patterns and see any shifts that have been unconfirmed, enabling them to arrange cover in advance and ensuring SLAs are met. Efficient customer service If a member of staff is unable to attend their shift due to illness or an emergency, Tatry Group managers can easily see the availability of staff who are nearby and who have the right skills/qualifications to fill in. During the weekend and out-of-hours work, duty team members are on call and kept up to date as situations change with the real-time visibility of data. Decisions on team changes and deployment can be made quickly, enabling them to provide responsive, efficient customer service – particularly for security services which often means providing a 24x7 cover for every day of year. Shift pattern information The reporting feature is invaluable for the teams to share shift pattern information The reporting feature is invaluable for the teams to share shift pattern information. In addition, since the platform is web-based, managers can access real time data, in any location. The more efficient operations from using SmartTask helps support the management of contracts and any Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE). Relevant details can be easily added, smoothing the process when new cleaning or security contracts are taken on. With both the HR and operations team using SmartTask, all relevant personnel information and certificates are kept updated in one system. This ensures individual security licences are current and DBS certifications for services provided to schools. It has also supported Tatry Group in its requirements to secure ISO 9001 accreditation. Benefits at a Glance Effective management of workforce contracted hours helps meet SLAs and ensure staff wellbeing. Improved planning and forecasting enhances customer service. Realtime visibility of the workforce helps manage emergencies and last-minute changes. Easy-to-use system for contract management. Legislation and compliance management supports accreditation requirements.

SmartTask, a UK-based developer of cloud workforce management solutions, has announced that 1st Choice (1st Choice Facilities Services Limited), one of the United Kingdom’s fastest growing workplace service providers, has deployed SmartTask software, in order to automate check calls and better support staff and customers. Since introducing the technology, the Security Division at 1st Choice has released on average 40 minutes per hour during a typical night shift, improved clarity of Control Room operations and enhanced compliance with Security Industry Authority (SIA) certification. 1st Choice deploys SmartTask software 1st Choice Facilities Services Limited turned to SmartTask in December 2021 1st Choice Facilities Services Limited turned to SmartTask in December 2021, after discovering that many Control Room staff were spending most of their time doing check calls. Ease of use combined with high levels of configurability across a single, integrated platform made SmartTask software the perfect choice for the company. Automated check calls now allow the Security Division’s five controllers to focus on other activities, such as monitoring CCTV installations, building efficient schedules and ensuring security staff are getting paid for the right number of hours. SmartTask mobile app 40-plus security guards at 1st Choice have the SmartTask mobile app installed on their phones, while many of the sub-contractors benefit from SmartTask’s automated IVR system. New check calls are triggered automatically, so security guards simply acknowledge and complete them, while out on patrol. They can also check in and out of buildings and even manage their holidays using SmartTask on their mobile devices. 1st Choice Facilities Services Limited is using SmartTask’s e-Forms GPS tracking feature Meanwhile, GPS tracking enables Control Room staff to see exactly when guards check in and check out and where they are, without having to call them. The system flags up anomalies, such as if part of a building has been missed and combined with alerts should there be a missed check call, can indicate if a security guard may need assistance. Babs Willis, the Control Room Manager - Security Division of 1st Choice Facilities Services Limited commented, “SmartTask has saved huge amounts of time doing check calls, which we now devote to proactively supporting our security staff and customers. The training and technical support we have received from the SmartTask team is great. They are very forthcoming and quick to help. So pleased are we with the initial implementation that word has got around and our colleagues in Contract Cleaning are looking to install SmartTask.” Using SmartTask’s e-Forms 1st Choice Facilities Services Limited is using SmartTask’s e-Forms to create a central repository of information 1st Choice Facilities Services Limited is using SmartTask’s e-Forms to create a central repository of information relating to site patrols, DOV vehicle checks and essential security guard documentation, including qualifications and certificates. This is critical for ensuring staff is Security Industry Authority (SIA) approved and provides alerts, when re-certification is required. For example, an inbuilt countdown timer shows how many days are left on a guard’s licence. Boosting efficiency of operations Paul Ridden, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SmartTask, said “Our objective is to design software that helps our customers boost the efficiency of their operations, while enhancing staff and customer care. Automating cumbersome manual tasks, such as check calls is an essential first step, releasing valuable time that can be channelled into higher-value tasks.” Paul Ridden adds, “Having all information in one place provides the Control Room at 1st Choice, the nerve centre of their operation, with the transparency they need to ensure the welfare of security staff, meet customer service levels and drive industry compliance.”

SmartTask, a UK-based developer of cloud workforce management solutions, has announced that 360 Alert Security has deployed SmartTask Mobile Patrols for its mobile security teams. An established user of SmartTask workforce management software to manage over 700 officers, 360 Alert Security selected the Mobile Patrols app to streamline its service delivery, enabling it to respond faster and more efficiently for site visits and call-outs, while also complying with Duty of Care requirements. SmartTask schedule management software 360 Alert Security’s managers use SmartTask’s software to schedule and plan client commitments quickly with run sheets that detail locks/unlocks, void property inspections, and check-point patrols, before sending them to the app on officers' phones. Paul Nadeem, General Manager of 360 Alert Security said; “The great thing about SmartTask is the usability. It is a good tool to manage staff anywhere, the geo-mapping in Mobile Patrols is great, and we can see exactly who is where at any time. With SmartTask management is easier and better. We have complete visibility and control and know whether an officer is on-site or not.” Automated processes ensure that everything is invoiced and queries can be handled faster Real-time notifications Managers at 360 Alert Security’s head office control room are automatically informed in real-time with progress and notified of check call status, without relying on updates from busy officers. Automated processes ensure that everything is invoiced and queries can be handled faster because the data is on hand to prove attendance. In addition, jobs and activities can be reassigned, for example in the case of sickness or a no-show, notes are added about particular sites, with all assignment details sent directly to the app. Data from the app is integrated with customer invoicing and payroll, reducing errors and helping to adhere to Service Level Agreements. Improving customer experience Paul Ridden CEO of SmartTask added; “We have designed industry-leading features within our workforce management software, many as a result of feedback from UK service providers.” “It helps our customers to radically improve the way service contracts are set up, rostered, and managed. They benefit from greater operational control, performance, and higher quality service delivery from the improved efficiencies.”

It is a truism that in the physical security industry your workforce and your reputation are the business’s largest and most important assets. Managing your workforce with empathy to ensure happy, engaged employees can be a balancing act. However, providing flexible working practices that are still profitable for your business is achievable, and something that every security business should be aiming for. SmartTask CEO, Paul Ridden discusses the hidden benefits of an engaged workforce and the role that good workforce management has to play. The importance of an engaged workforce can’t be stressed enough because motivated employees are what makes a business successful. Highly engaged staff According to Gallup, disengaged employees are a drain on any business. On average, they have 37% higher absenteeism, 18% lower productivity and 15% lower profitability. When the impact to the bottom line is calculated, you're looking at the cost of 34% of a disengaged employee's annual salary. Conversely, highly engaged staff show a 40% reduction in absenteeism, and almost 60% less turnover. Engaged employees show up every day with enthusiasm and purpose Engaged employees show up every day with enthusiasm and purpose. They tend to work harder, treat customers well (leading to more business), and, are more likely to remain with the company. Employee engagement is determined by factors such as feeling clear about your role at work, and having the right tools to enable you to do your job to the best of your ability. Being recognised for your hard work and diligence is also a key factor. Enabling security businesses Workforce management, when done well, can make a significant difference to all of these factors, and therefore help to foster an engaged workforce, which is good for business. Traditionally, workforce management and time & attendance (clocking on and off) systems may have seemed a bit ‘big brother’, however, this is no longer the case. In a world where almost everyone carries a smartphone, people are quite used to the idea of constant connectivity. This can be harnessed to enable security businesses to run more smoothly and efficiently, benefitting everyone. Indeed, being able to prove that a contracted service has been delivered is not only good for customer service, and invoicing, it is also provides recognition for hardworking staff. Workforce management solution Staff that feel empowered in such a way are more likely to feel happy and engaged Providing Flexibility and Work/life Balance - While we all know that contracts are contracts, and security businesses must deliver, ditching paper based systems in favour of an electronic workforce management solution, can provide additional flexibility to workers, supporting work/life balance. For example, shifts and rosters, which can be designed in a fraction of the time with a purpose-built solution, can be published further in advance, giving employees enough notice of work patterns to plan their lives around their shifts. People are more easily able to swap shifts or sign up for additional work, and the control room still has oversight to see exactly who is working where and when. In addition, staff can see their accrued holiday entitlement more easily, and request leave from their smartphones. Staff feel more in control of their lives when they can discuss their work patterns and holidays with family while at home simply by referring to an app on their device. Staff that feel empowered in such a way are more likely to feel happy and engaged with the business. Delivering work schedules Task lists for completion while onsite sent directly to their mobile device is convenient for all Convenience and Duty of Care - Using an app to deliver work schedules and assignment instructions provides your employees with the tools and information they need to do their job while removing the stress of dealing with paper-based forms. Task lists for completion while onsite sent directly to their mobile device is convenient for all, and helps to prove compliance with any regulatory requirements, including Duty of Care. Check calls are part of daily life for security workers. Remembering to make them can be cumbersome, but with an app, they can be built into the employee’s Actions for the day/shift, with an automated prompt to make the call. Managing finances better Payroll Visibility and additional Services for Staff - With an online time & attendance solution where people clock in and out electronically, they are able to check their hours accrued and see what their salary will be. If a shift is missed, for example, they are able to query with the payroll department much sooner, leading to more accurate and timely pay. Additional services can be provided, such as ‘pay in advance’ schemes, where workers are able to draw down a percentage of their earned salary before payday. This enables staff to manage their finances better and avoid taking payday loans. Keeping electronic records The benefits to the business of a workforce management solution are many The benefits to the business of a workforce management solution are many. Saving time on back office processes such as designing rosters, managing shifts/attendance/service delivery, holidays and absence. Reducing reliance on manual systems, keeping electronic records provides audit trails, proves compliance and streamlines invoices for all work completed. Having detailed records also means better analysis of the business. Managing rosters and schedules is one thing, ensuring that every shift is profitable is much more complex. However, with electronic workforce management all the variables, fixed costs, recurring costs, salaried people, hourly people and the cost of equipment required, that go into costing a shift can be analysed to ensure every shift is profitable. Providing better safeguards In a post-COVID world, people have embraced technology at a pace not previously imagined. Technology has enabled us to keep in contact with loved ones, enabled those that can to work remotely, and provides better safeguards to key workers that cannot work remotely. In a post-COVID world, people have embraced technology at a pace not previously imagined Providing people with the right tools to do their job is a major step forward in empowering your workforce to do well. Electronic systems that reduce paperwork, also reduce the drudgery of form filling. At head office that frees people up for more proactive, strategic and customer facing work, that really makes a difference to your business. Affordable software solutions Out in the field, electronic systems keep people safer, more informed and helps them to manage their work/life balance. A winning combination for everyone. Paul has spent most of his working life in the computer industry, with the last ten years spent focusing on software solutions for the security, cleaning, FM and logistics sectors. Part of Paul’s role is to use his passion and entrepreneurial approach to build a technology team that can develop and deliver affordable software solutions that take advantage of the latest technologies and help deliver value to all SmartTask users, large and small.