Problem:

In 2003, Scott Reasoner, IT Systems Administrator at Barth Electric, knew there had to be a better employee tracking board that could track the whereabouts of the company’s office employees. Their current system consisted of a sign-out sheet that listed the employee’s name, where they were going, time of departure, and the time they expected to return. By that time, Reasoner knew that there were more efficient, less tedious methods for this function. “The sign-out sheets got collected and filed with our HR guy…it didn’t seem that low-tech back then,” said Reasoner.

Search:

Scott Reasoner set out to find an effective, inexpensive in out board software solution for tracking office employees. At the time, there were not a lot of solutions for what they were looking for. A Google search resulted in several different solutions, including Savance’s EIOBoard (electronic in out board). After trying all the products, EIOBoard quickly became Reasoner’s 1st choice. “It’s by far the best electronic in out board I found. Out of all the initial trials, EIOBoard worked the best.”

Solution:

In early 2003, Barth Electric was one of the first Savance EIOBoard customers, and this was before EIOBoard was split into the electronic status solutions that now make up the Savance Workplace line of products, including Visitor Management and Emergency Mustering. Barth Electric is using EIOBoard, Savance’s Electronic In Out Board, along with the Outlook Add-in. Most employees use the regular EIOBoard interface, Reasoner indicated, although a few do prefer using Outlook.

Barth Electric found that the in out board software was easy to install and customize to their company. Each tab can be customized for each department, group, or category in the company. Barth employees can quickly see, from the color-coded status column, the status of everyone in the office. They can also see, in the comment column, any notes about where they are going, or who to contact in their absence.

Employees update EIOBoard throughout the day using their office computers. When they arrive in the morning, they log on to the EIOBoard and input their in/out status. The system updates in real-time, allowing the rest of the office to view coworkers’ availability at a glance.

Employees can choose from several options (which are customizable to any company) when changing their status. Some examples are ‘Home Office,’ ‘Sales Call,’ or ‘In a Meeting.’ It is particularly helpful for taking phone calls, notes Reasoner. “If the person isn’t here, I know whether to put it to voicemail or page him on the intercom.”

Some departments depend on it more than others. The Service department uses the employee tracking board to keep track of office employees, so that customer calls are handled efficiently. The Contracts department uses the Mobile Interface, for its field personnel.

Results & Benefits:

In the beginning EIOBoard was not utilized universally throughout the office. “I wish the receptionist would have used it more in the beginning,” Reasoner says. “But it was not always convenient for her to look up a person’s status when several people are waiting for her attention. She now has a dedicated monitor for the EIOBoard, so now she can quickly see everyones status at a glance”. The company now carries large screen displays for this purpose.

After almost ten years of utilizing EIOBoard, the electronic employee tracking board has become an integral part of doing business at Barth Electric. “It’s been a very exceptional product for what we need it for. It’s worked so well for us,” says Reasoner. He particularly appreciates the My Friends feature, allowing users to customize a list of coworkers whose status they need to follow. Reasoner says that he also likes the reporting capabilities and alerts handy for allowing users more closely track certain coworkers. The EIOBoard Electronic In Out Board solution was exactly what Barth was looking for. “It’s done nothing but improve over the years,” says Reasoner. “If Savance ever doesn’t receive our check, it’s a mistake. We depend on it that much.”