Case Study: Local Union Looks to Implement Social Distancing & Improve Member Safety
The Client
A Construction Trade Union
SkinnyOffice helped a Southern California Construction Union keep their employees at the Local and their participants safe during pandemics. With new social distancing guidelines, our client needed a way to safely manage dispatches, reduce the number of employees in the office, and enable remote union meetings outside of the Local.
The Challenge
Fulfill Critical Union Functions While Complying with Public Health Ordinances
The union offices were closed to the public due to local “Safer at Home” public health order by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The Union needed to find a way to do their critical union functions under new health restrictions. They needed a way to offer remote live COVID safety training and do job dispatch without a crowded union hall in accordance with both public safety guidelines and union dispatch procedures.
The Solution
Cloud Infrastructure, Web Forms, & Lobby Management
With the changing local regulatory environment, it was important to have a flexible and quick-to-deploy solution that met all of our client’s needs, using as much existing hardware, while still accounting for the client’s safety, security, and compliance needs. The goals were to get as many of the union’s office workers working remotely while leveraging technology to do as much of the dispatch hall’s functions online as possible.
SkinnyOffice Workspace & Virtual Phones
By leveraging Cloud Infrastructure for Virtual Desktops & VoIP Phones SkinnyOffice was able to quickly and efficiently enable remote work for union staffers. By virtualizing desktops and phones using voice over internet technology, it allowed the union to send staffers home while maintaining their entire phone tree using virtual handsets and desktops on existing computer hardware, while still maintaining security and compliance.
Online Learning Management System
A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation, and delivery of educational courses, training programs, or learning and development programs. Integrated with video communication technology the Union was able to offer remote live training to members to teach safety & compliance with new health ordinances.
Web Forms & Lobby Management
Using a combination of web forms and SkinnyOffice’s Lobby Management suite of software the union was able to virtualize much of its sound/communication dispatch procedures. Manpower requests were submitted via an online form in our new web dispatch portal. Out of work members checked in online, and roll call was conducted via phone in accordance with dispatch procedures.
The Results
Achived Compliance & Enabled Remote Work
With the union offices closed due to local health ordinances, we were able to leverage technology to restore critical union functions while still remaining in compliance with “safer at home” ordinances. We reduced the number of staff in the office by enabling remote work technologies and we helped restore public-facing functions by leveraging technology.
We helped co-develop new union dispatch procedures to eliminate the need for gathering at dispatch offices and converted most of the existing paperwork and forms into web forms to allow no-contact and remote submission of various needed information from members. With additions to their website we even enabled the union to offer online classes and safety certifications through their new web learning portal.
The Benefit
Scalable & Secure Work From Anywhere Technology
Data Security
The most important aspect of a hosted virtual desktop is data security. Hosting desktops on the cloud ensures an advanced level of security as the cloud hosting provider implements multiple security practices including encryption intrusion detection & protection systems (IDPS), multi-level authentication, and redundant servers and backups in different geographical locations.
Device Portability
Virtual Desktop enables you to use portable devices such as laptops, smartphones, or tablets to access your desktop. The service is platform-independent so you can do so from any device, irrespective of its platform, all while enforcing security & policy on these remote devices. Run your critical business applications from Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, or any device with an HTML5 browser.
Reduced Expenses
By utilizing cloud resources there is reduced upfront costs in needing to deploy new hardware. Manage your hardware and software requirements for each remote worker. Remote updates and maintenance reduce ongoing IT costs and utilization of the SkinnyOffice Cloud allows your organization to quickly scale as needed, adding new cloud resources with a click of a mouse.
With the SkinnyOffice Managed Services, we continue working with our customers to ensure they remain compliant and secure. As policies evolve, as you shift to comply with local ordinances we adapt your technologies so you can always focus on what matters most: your business. We offer free consultations and would be happy to help you achieve your IT goals.