Smartphone app improves service for Glasgow residents

A new smartphone app is transforming Glasgow's free Bulk Uplift service making it faster and more efficient for city residents.

More than 100,000 bulk uplifts a year are requested in Glasgow where residents still enjoy a free service – unlike in some other local authorities where there is a charge. The app has helped speed up response times with 90% of requests completed within 10 days – 18 days faster than the Service Level Agreement which is 28 days.

Cleansing staff are using the new technology to receive real-time information when bulk uplift requests are made by the public. The app automatically groups requests into neighbourhood areas which are sent to team smartphones.

Staff use the app to record when they arrive at an address and when they leave – closing off completed jobs. They can also record any problems with access and use the camera phone to take images of other issues discovered on arrival at an address – for example, if the request was to uplift an old bath but on arrival it is full of bricks and is too heavy to lift. The photograph is then sent to supervisors via the app for a swift decision on to how to proceed. Supervisors can contact the resident who made the request, asking them to remove the bricks so the bath can be uplifted.

Streamlined service

The app streamlines the old paper-based system where residents' requests had to be printed out, manually sorted into neighbourhoods and physically handed to cleansing staff on a daily basis. The new app is more practical and environmentally friendly as it is paperless and no printing is required. It also slashes the amount of staff time spent on administration – automatically grouping requests into neighbourhoods and sending a list of jobs to cleansing operatives working in communities.

Trials of the app began in the city in August 2016 and more than 50 frontline cleansing operatives have now been trained to use it.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "We're adopting new technology to work smarter, improve efficiency and enhance services for the public. The new Bulk Uplift app is being used internally by our staff to streamline the service and make it run more smoothly. It has made the service faster and more flexible. It is far more environmentally friendly than the old paper system and minimises time consuming admin.

"We've received good feedback from customers who have noticed that items are being removed faster."

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Source: Smartphone app improves service for Glasgow residents