The professionals at VCS Software, providers of the Police Officer Scheduling System (POSS), have been called the “true experts” of shift scheduling for public safety. Deeply embedded in the quest for absolute best practices, VCS has partnered with hundreds of various sized police departments to best understand the current needs of law enforcement in maintaining accurate and proactive schedules.
Interactive Scheduling
“One request that came through loud and clear was the need for a customizable system,” stated CEO Guy DiMemmo. “Every individual agency has unique shift rotations, leave requirements, union rules, and even lunch schedules; but one standard system cannot handle every single variance.” So VCS created a new version of POSS called SCHEDULE APP.
SCHEDULE APP gives users the ability to customize the scheduling system to their precise needs. Dashboards can be configured in tile format to show exactly the information each individual wants to see. Schedule rotations, overtime reasons, extra duty rules, security levels, shift bidding, and post names can all be constructed to fit the agency’s requirements. Users can design hundreds of reports just by selecting the specific schedule information they need using the robust Report Writer. “SCHEDULE APP literally gives our clients control over how they want to use the system,” adds DiMemmo.
Intuitive Scheduling
One major objective DiMemmo asked his software development team to achieve when coding SCHEDULE APP was to make the system user-friendly and intuitive. Screens exhibit the universal look and feel of the Microsoft Windows® platform, and menu bar action items are organized and neatly arranged within sidebars. An active Search Box gives users the ability to enter key words for actions they want to perform, resulting in those screens immediately becoming visible. Smart phone devices also maintain the look and feel of POSS SCHEDULE APP so that clients can easily utilize the system from anywhere at any time.
Proactive Scheduling
One of the most basic requirements of a public safety scheduling system is that it must be proactive. Typical scheduling and time & attendance software programs log worked hours as they occur and then output those hours for deployment, payroll, and review purposes. In law enforcement, however, the output of that information is too late. Public Safety personnel need to know that the right people with the right qualifications show up at the right time. Their schedules need to be determined before the shift starts, not during the shift. This simple paradigm shift of practicing proactive (instead of reactive) scheduling saves agencies tens of thousands of dollars by reducing overtime, fairly awarding extra duty, minimizing grievances, and cutting payroll processing time in half.
VCS Communities
In addition to the rollout of SCHEDULE APP was the introduction of VCS’ brand new client care experience: VCS Communities. VCS Communities is a support and social media site that enables POSS SCHEDULE APP users to come together online and communicate best practices with each other. Focus groups are available by industry, location, product, and user level. Clients can post helpful articles, ask for shift rotation suggestions, discuss software applications, and just connect in the spirit of collaboration. Support features include a library of training videos and webinars; knowledgebase articles; interaction with VCS staff members; news feeds; and instant e-ticket support.
“The Communities portal takes support to a whole new level by uniting our clients and our staff to share, discuss, and solve scheduling and time & attendance challenges together as professionals,” states Cathy Leone, Administrator of Client Relations at VCS. “It’s an example of VCS’ commitment to maintain a partnership of learning with our clients. Our philosophy is to collaborate and work together with our clients, not just have a business relationship with them. We view clients as friends and colleagues, not simply account numbers.”
The VCS staff believes that a company’s responsibility to its clients is to provide the most comprehensive software systems with support options that promote educated users. That philosophy is what drives VCS every day to promote friendly and helpful staff who deliver and support the most innovative scheduling software solutions specifically written for today’s public safety professionals.
Visit www.vcssoftware.com for detailed product information about POSS SCHEDULE APP or call 888-864-4144 to speak with a certified scheduling professional.
