The latest news from Meantime IT

A mobile app Meantime has developed for Colchester Borough Council has just completed a successful trial and is set to be rolled out across a further nine local authorities.

The task management system provides instant, real-time information for council teams working around the borough, and is accessed via handheld Android mobile operating systems. The app provides a scheduled booking system, as well as alerting street teams to incidents requiring immediate attention and directing them to the precise areas using interactive maps.

The council’s scheduled booking system for the street teams was previously managed by spreadsheet, with teams receiving a hard copy of their tasks for the day each morning. Now, each team receives the information they need via their Android mobile devices which show their real-time position, the next scheduled appointment and any other priority tasks assigned to them each day. The teams use detailed mapping information to plan their route during the day to get to appointments, complete tasks and add any new jobs that they discover on the way. Issues such as cancelled appointments and high priority items are flagged as they happen, with team leaders able to locate nearby staff and ensure that resources are directed exactly where and when they’re needed. This real-time tracking eliminates time wasted on cancelled appointments and helps prioritise urgent procedures over low priority tasks.

Similarly, teams in charge of tasks requiring immediate action such as clearing away broken glass or tackling anti-social behaviour are directed towards the problem area as soon as it’s reported. Calls to the council’s switchboard are immediately flagged on the system and the nearest team sent to deal with the reported issue.

Meantime’s app was built to compliment the council’s existing booking and reporting system, so there was no need for an expensive overhaul of all the IT equipment. Our developers examined the processes used by the council and ensured the technology complimented the established ways of working but with a modern, mobile twist.

We were delighted with the success of the trial and we’re glad to report that the system has been live and running, problem free, since September 2012.