Hudson WI -- The founders of Aladtec, Dave Feyereisen and Leo Langlois, tapped into the cloud computing industry when they discovered a niche market which benefits considerably from accessing data immediately from anywhere with an internet connection. That niche market is the public safety sector.
With that said, I need to take a step back to point out “cloud computing” is a rather nebulous term, however it basically means accessing software programs directly over the Internet by logging into the software provider’s website. It’s likely you are personally using cloud computing now and perhaps didn’t even realize it. For instance, I use Gmail and it is a form of cloud computing. Google Docs is also is also considered cloud computing. I use Google Docs to create documents and share them with others instantaneously. I can even allow them to edit or make comments if I choose and I can see the changes in real time. Gmail and Google Docs are available 24/7/365 from anywhere I have web access...my data is “in the cloud”. This very blog is a perfect example because I’m writing it from home on my laptop, yet I shared it with a coworker who is in Maryland, and he can see me writing this blog in real time and neither of us are actually in the office today. How cool is that?
Now back to Aladtec...In 2002, the founders were approached by the Ellsworth Area Ambulance Service in Wisconsin to help improve their employee scheduling system by creating an online version for them. That system became EMS Manager and launched Aladtec, Inc. Soon other public sector agencies were asking for EMS Manager to help them improve their efficiency too. At the time, the term “cloud computing” wasn’t a common phrase like it is now. These agencies simply knew EMS Manager was better than their old system. Most were posting a paper schedule or writing it on a whiteboard and the only way anyone could see it was to show up at the agency. Making changes was cumbersome and keeping it current without any confusion was nearly impossible. Once they implemented EMS Manager they could distribute the schedule and keep it up to date immediately - it was always current and visible to the staff from literally anywhere they had internet access. They were accessing it in the cloud. Over time, other important features and capabilities were added and EMS Manager evolved into a hearty web-based scheduling and workforce management system.
Later, Aladtec developed FIRE Manager for fire departments and most recently they added Zanager to their product line. Zanager is the same type of online web-based software but it was designed for private sector users.
In a cloud based system the cost is considered an operational expense instead of a large capital expenditure. Often, as with Aladtec, web-based services are offered as a monthly or yearly subscription...versus a one time large investment which smaller businesses and public agencies often simply can’t afford. Aladtec’s affordable yearly subscription fee is easily recouped within a month or two.
“A little over a year into using EMS Manager we’ve already received an estimated overtime savings of $40,000, a 70% reduction in unscheduled overtime,” explains Andrew Blackwood, EMS Sergeant, Queen Anne’s County DES EMS, Centerville, Maryland. “I also went from spending 15 hours a week to only two on creating the employee schedule.”
Many cloud based software services, including Aladtec’s, also have smartphone and mobile device apps (applications). “One FIRE Manager feature that took us by surprise is the mobile web app. For our employees with smartphones, they now have access to the schedule, the member list, upcoming events, their own upcoming shifts, and pending trade & time-off requests anywhere they have 3G coverage. It is very convenient to have access to all that information on-the-go and once you have it and use it, you really get a lot out of it,” states Captain James Limerick, Liberty Township Fire Department, Liberty Township, Ohio.
Whether it’s a large agency like the San Diego County Fire Authority and the Regional Paramedical Services of Alabama...or small agencies, such as the Ellsworth Area Ambulance Service (WI), Tuxedo Volunteer Ambulance Corp (NY), and Muskwachees Ambulance Authority, Hobbema (Alberta, Canada)...public sector agencies often face budget cuts they can’t control yet their city or county may continue to grow in population and therefore service needs. Prices for cloud computing services run the gamut. Similar products can be priced thousands of dollars apart, so it pays to shop around. Today, nearly 50,000 people from all across North America access Aladtec’s cloud based online scheduling and workforce management products whenever and wherever they choose.
Scheduling employees, maintaining records and managing public sector volunteers and part time employees may not seem like a big deal to some people, but each and every scheduler and administrator will tell you it can take a tremendous amount of time, resources…and therefore money. Cloud based software products improve productivity and save time...and therefore money. “EMS Manager reduced the amount of time it takes to do our schedule by 50% to 75% and I no longer worry about double staffing. The program also allows us to track the certifications for our staff members. It’s a big asset to our department,” states Michael Storck, Deputy Chief, Hammonton Rescue Squad, Hammonton, New Jersey.
So if you are using an Aladtec product or checking your gmail account...you’ve got your head in the clouds my friend...just like me...and isn’t it great?