Smooth migration is essential
The council has some 700 individuals requiring lone worker protection devices, across 40 departments in diverse geographical locations. The work required to successfully migrate from the council’s previous provider to Reliance Protect was complex and extensive, and the council was concerned that it should be completed swiftly, effectively and without disruption to day-to-day operations.
Users, including those with special needs, needed to be trained in device usage and registered in the customer portal. Escalation procedures needed to be agreed and put in place, and management reporting defined and implemented.
The implementation process
On winning the contract in May 2018, Reliance Protect immediately began creating a detailed implementation strategy covering all aspects of the migration from the council’s previous provider to the new service. This involved assembling a detailed understanding of its existing lone worker deployment, organisational structure and broader IT infrastructure, as well as its objectives, constraints and wider circumstances.
The detailed requirements were identified and the implementation strategy formulated, with key milestones, in face-to-face meetings at the council’s offices, involving the key stakeholders from both Reliance Protect and the council.
The implementation and device roll-out took place over a two week period. Reliance Protect delivered over 20 face-to-face training classes, as well as general support sessions and advice, at various council locations. Users were registered on the system via the Reliance Protect online portal. Meanwhile, Reliance Protect conducted a full review and update of the council’s escalation processes.
Reliance Protect’s E-Learning suite was made available for those unable to attend the training sessions, and to make top-up training available as required. Further face-to-face training was delivered exclusively for employees with special needs.
During the implementation over 700 devices were supplied, with support from the Reliance Protect Monitoring Centre in place right from the start. Bespoke reporting covering usage, alerts and other key metrics was set up, and follow up meetings undertaken to ensure that any issues arising were identified and addressed in a timely and effective manner.
The council has a dedicated Reliance Protect Key Account Manager, working with the dedicated strategic Account Development Manager, who delivers support at all levels, for managers and device users, to help the council maximise usage and use reports to extract actionable insights. For day-to-day queries, the council has access to Reliance Protect’s service team and online portal.
Training and support
Reliance Protect’s robust implementation process and the support delivered have been of particular value to the council. Regular planning and review meetings, specific individuals dedicated to specific aspects of the service, and the availability of a choice of devices to meet a variety of needs and circumstances have all been key to the success of the project roll-out.
Additional support and training were provided for employees with impaired vision or hearing as the roll-out progressed across four locations on the south coast. Reliance Protect staff were on site throughout the implementation, introducing the devices, helping staff choose the best one for their needs, and addressing diverse enquiries as they arose.
Council managers were impressed with Reliance Protect’s speed of response, beginning the implementation of the service in June 2018, having won the contract just a month earlier.
With device roll-out completed and reporting set up by July 2018, Reliance Protect today continues to support the council, helping them maximise device usage and value realised, through quarterly face-to-face review meetings and remote contact with their dedicated Key Account Manager.
With over 700 lone worker device users, migrating to a new provider was a significant task. We were impressed with Reliance Protect’s methodical approach and attention to detail, and the way they’ve repeatedly gone the extra mile to support us.
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