As permit and pass management systems become a necessary tool for an increasing number of organisations, self-care capabilities can bring these products to the next level.
So what exactly is self-care, what benefits can you get from a self-care permit management system, and what features should you look out for in order to make the most of it?
Let’s take a look.
Self-care technology 101
First, let’s clarify the difference between self-service and self-care.
Self-service allows a user to utilise a product to perform certain actions. Think of an ATM or a self-service checkout machine. In contrast, self-care allows an administrator in an organisation to make changes to the product itself and configure it according to business requirements.
In permit and pass management, a system that offers self-care enables you, as an admin, to make changes to the system without requiring external assistance from the vendor. In other words, instead of calling support to request they add or update a permit type, a permit application form, or even to change business workflows, you can quickly tweak the product yourself.
Benefits of self-care permit & pass management systems
Self-care permit and pass management systems can offer a range of benefits for your organisation. Key benefits include:
Greater control
Self-care technology is a great way to take control of your admin systems and configure them to fit your exact requirements. Make as many changes as you want, exactly how you want them. These could include:
- Creating client contracts
- Creating different permit and pass application forms, each with different fields and business workflows.
- Creating and managing locations and space allocation for permit applications.
- Creating different permit types, such as staff, visitor, and contractor parking permits; blue badge permits; site access passes, EV charging permits and more.
Efficiency
Being in control of your own changes also brings a significant increase in efficiency. Self-care means you can easily tweak the system whenever necessary, and only call for external assistance, e.g. support if you need help.
Cost savings
Managing your own permit management system means you can mostly eliminate the need for external help. Depending on your provider, ongoing support might be more affordable for self-care technology. Combined with the increased efficiency, the cost savings contribute to a significantly higher ROI.
Improved employee satisfaction
Ultimately, most employees prefer being able to quickly handle any required changes, rather than calling for assistance and waiting for the changes to be implemented. The time savings and increased control enable admin staff to be more efficient overall in their role, which has a direct positive impact on their job satisfaction.
Is self-care right for you?
Any organisation could potentially benefit from a permit and pass management system that offers self-care.
This is especially important for organisations that have multiple permit types, more complex configuration options, and an environment that requires more frequent changes. This is often the case for organisations where agility and flexibility are crucial for the high admin workload.
However, even if managing permit or passes is a relatively stable process for your organisation, you will still benefit from having the option to configure your software system without requiring support.
If you’re unsure how a self-care permit/pass management system would work for your organisation, feel free to contact us to discuss more.
What makes a great self-care permit & pass management system
As we have seen, self-care can bring a variety of benefits. However, in order to make the most out of it, you should make sure to select the right provider. Here are some key features that we believe a self-care permit & pass management system should have:
Flexibility
Flexibility is one of our main priorities, so it’s no surprise we think it’s crucial. In our experience, unless a permit & pass management system is designed to be truly flexible, self-care will be limited.
Interface
Without a simple-to-use interface, self-care tech can turn from a helpful tool for efficiency & staff satisfaction into a complicated process that requires extensive staff training to perform even the most basic functions. So make sure the product you’re considering is intuitive and user-friendly.
Support
Self-care will enable you to configure your permit management system to your needs, but having access to support is still vital. There’s a balance of being in control of making changes and improving efficiency, while also knowing you’re not on your own, if you ever need the extra help.
The right company will provide self-care in conjunction with support, not instead of it, making sure all your needs are covered.
Integration
Aside from having the option to add and modify functionalities within the platform, integration with third-party systems is also important. Check whether the software provider offers off-the-shelf and bespoke integration options.
Innovation
Before going ahead with a permit and pass management system, ask yourself: will this product still be relevant in the long run? It’s not enough for the system to perform well now, it should also stand the test of time.
One way to determine if the product is a safe choice is by checking its history. Is it an established product? Has the software provider shown that innovation is a priority for the company?
Hopefully this blog has helped clarify why self-care is important for permit & pass management systems, and how it could benefit your organisation and your staff. If you would like to discuss this topic further, please get in touch and we’d be happy to help!
Octopass is a software product that helps you manage permits and passes in a simple, efficient, and transparent way, whilst working towards a zero-carbon future. With over a decade of experience serving a range of sectors, Octopass offers solutions for simplifying and automating a variety of permits and passes.
