Sopra SteriaSTORM Command and Control is enhancing public service delivery
and providing more efficient scheduling of resources
Sopra SteriaSTORM Command and Control is enhancing public service delivery
and providing more efficient scheduling of resources
Around 60% of the UK’s police forces use Sopra
SteriaSTORM to allocate and deploy resources in response
to emergency calls. To improve resource efficiency
and enhance service to the public, the force required a
solution to improve the scheduling of appointments.
The Challenge
The requirement for the scheduling of appointments has grown
to support local and community policing initiatives and to provide
the public with flexibility in the way they interact with the force.
This strong focus on enhancing interaction with the public also
needed to be underpinned by an effective resource utilisation
tool, which would enable the force to maximise officer time.
In response to Durham Constabulary and other
forces’ requirements and the need to deliver the best
possible service to the public, Sopra Steria was asked
to upgrade the STORM Command and Control system
to extend its capabilities for scheduling resources.
Our solution
As one of the most regular users of STORM Diary,
Durham Constabulary was keen to work alongside
Sopra Steria and help implement the latest upgrade.
Through a series of user group initiatives involving a total of 24
UK police forces, SmartSTORM Diary was developed with a focus
on new user-friendly and intuitive features. For example, each
appointment can be linked to STORM incident details, providing
attending officers will full information to support their meeting
Key Points
- SmartSTORM Diary has received
outstanding feedback from Durham
Constabulary and has 85% utilisation
of appointment slots across its diaries
- Scheduled appointments identified
as a practical example of managing
and reducing demand in HMIC’s
Policing in Austerity Compendium
- Durham Constabulary has seen
a 5% increase in the booking of
scheduled appointments at the
time of the enquiry being taken
- The development and delivery of the
new diary capability aided by a user group
workshop, representing 24 different forces
A further SMS messaging feature ensures
that when a diary entry is made a text is
sent to the member of the public to confirm
the appointment, and then another one
is sent on the day as a reminder. This is
helping to cut missed appointments.
How we worked together
To ensure that the upgrade matched the requirements of
the users, Sopra Steria engaged with the STORM User Group
comprising 24 UK police forces. Through this collaborative process
and a series of interactive workshops, the group identified the
business issues that needed to be addressed and the main
functionality enhancements to be included in the upgrade.
From the User Group’s input, Sopra Steria used its wealth
of experience and knowledge of the UK policing service’s
operational procedures to develop STORM in line with the
key diary scheduling requirements it had identified.
As the first UK force to move to the SmartSTORM Diary
system in November 2013, Sopra Steria worked closely
with Durham Constabulary to ensure its staff were fully
trained and confident to use the new system.
The transfer took place during a Sunday nightshift to minimise operational
downtime. Within the first six months of the successful launch there
was an 85% utilisation of appointment slots across 22 diaries.
Results and benefits
There has been excellent feedback from users of the new
Diary system for its ease of use and ability to become familiar
with the new functionality; with comments such as:
- “we like the ability to highlight only the available appointments.”
- “a great time saver – and I like the fact you can type in the Log with the Diary open.”
With the pressures of modern policing it is increasingly important to deliver
efficiencies in the workplace and utilise the resources in the most effective way.
SmartSTORM Diary has streamlined the creation and booking of appointments.
- Just 6 months after the launch, 16% of incidents equating
to 2500 per month were being allocated directly to
SmartSTORM Diary at the time of the call being taken.
- Durham Constabulary has seen a 5% increase in the booking of
scheduled appointments at the time of the enquiry being taken.
- The system has saved time and helped the force to better manage its workload.
The Force’s use of STORM’s scheduled appointments was identified as
a practical example of managing and reducing demand by Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Constabulary in their 2014 Policing in Austerity Compendium
Sopra Steria’s
practical knowledge of UK
policing, combined with its
technical ability to develop
STORM’s functionality,
continues to help Durham
Constabulary to make the
best use of their available
resources and improve
service to the public.
KEVIN BLAKEY
Systems Manager