Client Requirement Process
There are several ways in which a client can request agency
staff. One of these ways, which tends to still be very popular due
to its personal nature, is via telephone.
Telephone Requests
A client can call up and their data can be entered in one of two
ways - through a Simple or Power input mode.
Simple
The simple mode is quick and easy to use and allows the
operations team the ability to quickly enter the client's request
while on the phone; as the process is carried out the user will be
provided with more specific options. For example if a client
requests only male staff, immediately all the female staff will not
show up as possible options.
Selecting a shift will display default and most recently used
options, meaning that the same employee may be supplied for a
company that they have previously worked for. It may be that a
client requests to have the same twenty staff as last time and the
user doesn't then have to search for them one by one, as they
are automatically displayed.
There is an option to select one or multiple dates, and single
or multiple shifts. The required number of employees may then be
chosen for the particular shift. A customer reference, as well as
the client who is requesting the shift may also be added at this
point, and this saves time later on. Also if the client has been
used before, their information will automatically be filled in. Key
information is generated automatically, such as department codes,
and charge and pay rates.
At this point the selection is saved, a unique reference
generated, the request is time stamped and the operator entering
the request is added automatically.
The shift can then be programmed into the staff member's
availability diary, and their availability is then
updated.
Power
This is in fact very similar to the simple mode yet it allows
further information to be linked to the request. There are over
sixty additional categories of information that can be linked to
any given request allowing a really flexible and well fitted match.
Simply it allows an agency to be totally on the ball when it comes
to filling its customer's needs.
Contract
Contracts involve the expansion of single day or shift bookings
to allow the meeting of repeated requirements. These are
automatically generated for a chosen period in advance; both a
start date and end date can be specified, and the end date can be
changed at any time, or the contract can run indefinitely. Notes
can be added to the contracts through the use of the power input
method, if need be.
Retrospective
If a staff member is self-booking the input usually takes place
through a completed time sheet. New shifts can easily be added from
the time sheet window.