Out 'n About ============ A computer program that helps safeguard field staff when working away from their office base. Recently I heard a radio interview with Diana Lamplugh, director of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust: The UK National Charity for Personal Safety. Mrs Lamplugh made a number of interesting points with regard to staff who work out in the community away from their office base. It is evident that very few organisations have proper procedures for signing staff out when they leave the office to visit a client, and signing them back in when they return. The result is that if someone fails to return managers and colleagues are unlikely to even be aware that there is a possible problem. While listening to the interview it occurred to me that a computer could be used to help safeguard field staff, and I started developing Out 'n About. * Managers: Do you know where your staff are during the working day? Do you maintain a formalised procedure to sign staff out of the office when they leave to visit a client, and sign them back in when they return? If a member of staff failed to return to the office by the expected time would you be aware that there was a possible problem? * Field Staff: When you are working away from your office base do your colleagues know how to contact you? If you phone the office to report your next planned destination are you sure that this is noted down correctly and conscientiously? If you are delayed and fail to return to the office, or phone in, by the expected time are you confident that your colleagues would be aware that there was a possible problem? What does Out 'n About do? -------------------------- * Records details of planned destinations when a staff member leaves the office or reports in by phone. * Registers a check-in time by which the staff member expects to return to the office or report back. * Constantly monitors the status of each staff member and automatically pops up on the screen with a warning when the check-in time is passed. * Sounds an audible warning along with the on-screen message when a staff member check-in is overdue. Important features of Out 'n About: ----------------------------------- * Runs under Microsoft Windows 3.0 or 3.1 on IBM compatible personal computers. * Simple and quick to use. Takes just a few seconds to update as you leave the office. Quickly updated by your colleagues when you report in by phone. * Can be operated by field staff themselves or maintained by secretary, receptionist or staff manager. * Compatible with any network system and can be updated from any workstation. All networked PCs running Out 'n About will immediately reflect updates as they are made. * Suitable for use by all types of field staff, such as social workers, community nurses, sales teams and voluntary workers. * Runs in the background while you get on with your word processing, spreadsheet or other PC work. Immediately interrupts you if a staff member fails to check-in by the expected time. * Provides the basis for good management practice that safeguards field staff. A. S. Jaques 82 Upper George Street Chesham HP5 3EH UK Phone/Fax: +44-(0)494-783229 Compuserve: 100117,2110 OUTABT.EXE is a self extracting zip file. It contains the full working program, not a demonstration.