PARiM’S New iPhone App launch with NFC capability ends Beta phase for Checkpoint Module
We launched Parim’s Checkpoint Module as a Beta several years ago to allow Security and Cleaning Companies to test the functionality and to track the progress of their Security Guards, Security Operatives, Store Detectives, Cleaners and Cleaning Operatives as they move about, clean or run security patrols on large sites doing security patrol shifts / shift patterns or office cleaning shifts during the day or night.
One of the challenges when we initially launched the Checkpoint Module was that Apple hadn’t integrated NFC technology within its iPhones so the NFC option was ONLY available for those with Android phones. This meant that companies wishing to use Checkpoints for guard patrols or cleaning routes had to choose the more expensive, newer technology iBeacon option. This impacted the number of clients willing to try this feature.
In the last month, PARiM has spent some considerable time and resource updating its iPhone Apps so that NFC tags will work with them. This means that from 16th November 2021 NFC Tags will work on the iPhone App as well Android.
The completion of this work allows many more companies both existing clients and prospects in the Security Company and FM Cleaning Company Sectors who have Security Guards or Cleaning Operatives doing night shifts, perhaps as part of complex shift patterns with checkpoint routes inside them to use the Checkpoints Module.
This iPhone App development work and launch of the NFC enabled iPhone App effectively completed the Beta phase for this module.
To further test the market, the effectiveness and ease of use of this PARiM App based feature - its true usefulness in the Security and FM Cleaning Sectors (mainly but not exclusively) we will start to charge for the use of the Checkpoint Module from 1st January 2022.
Pricing will be in line with that for the Absences Module. As with PARiM’s current pricing strategy, you are primarily charged for the features and functionality you use whilst enjoying the significant time, cost, labour savings and valued added to your organisation that come with using a professional staff scheduling and management system.
Charging a relatively modest amount for the extremely useful Checkpoint Module will enable us to focus on it as a stand-alone feature as well as dedicating resource to developing and pushing this functionality forwards.
We would encourage any of our clients who have it turned on merely because it was free of charge previously and who aren’t using it- to switch this module off.
In partnership with the Checkpoint Module we also created two useful reports
Timeclock Report - that shows which Checkpoints have been checked in at and when as well as
highlighting Missed Checkpoints
Checkpoint Report - shows staff checking in at checkpoints by location and checkpoint as well.
Both of these reports are printable and/ or exportable to show evidence to clients should that be required
Reference Material
Here is a link to Apple’s own article on NFC (Near Field Communication) reading by iPhones
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