Consortio Security has adopted employee scheduling and workforce management software. The guard firm based in Castle Donington sought to streamline internal processes and improve its operations. The SmartTask product will be used to better manage some 330 security officers that work at 250 customer sites whether doing manned guarding, key holding, mobile patrols or alarm response.
Earl Knight, CEO of Consortio Security said: “SmartTask represents a big step forward for us that will help transform our internal processes by gaining complete transparency of operational data. The software is already proving its worth and we expect to gain even greater efficiency savings and performance improvements as we embed it into our business further.”
SmartTask replaces a workforce management system that was no longer meeting the demands of the security firm, it says, in terms of usability and reporting. After a review of the market, SmartTask was selected as it offered a cloud and app-based solution. The smartphone app lets security officers record proof of attendance, submit incident reports, access and confirm assigned shifts, and read assignment and risk assessment forms.
Consortio will use SmartTask across its operations – centrally and regionally – to create and pass on work schedules, validate contract delivery and support duty of care. The company’s control room will be able to see all booking on-and-off of shifts, hourly check calls, scanned patrol points and raised alerts via a live dashboard. Meanwhile, three regional operations managers will have controlled access, so they can manage their teams, measure performance and respond to issues.
Tom Dilley is National Control Room Manager at Consortio. He says: “The added visibility and control provided by SmartTask is helping us proactively manage our security operation in the most efficient and effective way. By streamlining our internal processes and reducing incoming calls from security officers by as much as half, we are saving a considerable amount of time, so the operations team can focus on other priorities and ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction are maintained.”
The reporting and access to data means that the guarding contractor can resolve any operational issues or react to customer queries. The company is planning to introduce an online portal, which can be accessed by customers to view real-time and historical details of their security operations. Reports will also be used by the guard firm’s payroll and finance teams to help calculate employee and customer billing. Timesheets will be downloaded and exported to Consortio’s finance systems, besides holiday accrual, absence and pay rate data. Elliot Moss, Consortio’s Head of Finance, says: “The added precision and adaptability of SmartTask means we can input different variables by employee and contract to create highly accurate reports. Our longer-term aim is to integrate the software with our finance systems to automate our payroll and billing processes.”
Meanwhile, SmartTask’s vetting module will enable the company’s HR staff to speed up and simplify its BS7858-compliant background checking and pre-employment screening for new employees. It will ensure the company is complying with legal regulations such as working history, DBS checks and right to work, besides helping to source appropriate references. SmartTask Vetting will allow certificates and identification documents to be uploaded, removing the need to store paper copies, while electronic reminders will allow the software to flag any upcoming expiry dates.
Mick Stone, Head of Human Resources at Consortio, says: “SmartTask’s vetting module is already speeding up staff recruitment by having a fast and accurate screening process that is fully compliant with all legal regulations and our internal employment policies. We are, on average, reducing the time required screening a new starter by 40 per cent when compared to the previous system we had in place, which is freeing up valuable HR resource.”
About Consortio
The company typically works in logistics, student accommodation, shopping centre and industrial parks. Visit https://www.consortiosecurity.com/.
