Digitizing complex security processes to save hours of admin work

Port Tampa Bay’s security team oversees complex and large security operations using pen and paper. Cataloguing daily activity and incidents with a fully digital solution means substantial time and money saved.

porttb.com

37,000,000

tons of cargo

$4.5b

cargo annually

>5,000

acre patrol area

Challenge

Port Tampa Bay’s security team is tasked with overseeing the port’s complex and large security operations. This team relies on pen and paper to catalogue all daily security activity, as well as to report incidents, among other things.

This results in substantial, unnecessary time spent capturing data across security operating processes; slower communication and information processing; and cumbersome daily security team oversight. This also means difficulty in sharing information in the field among team members to ensure safety and for coordinating activities in managing incidents.

For these and other reasons, security leadership sought a fully digital solution.

Security officers spend 45 minutes to an hour every day doing paperwork.
Officer activity and incident forms are generally completed after the fact, and sometimes at the end of a shift, resulting in reduced detail, accidental omissions, and errors in reports.
Officer street notes are ineffectively communicated to ensure all officers benefit from the notes in performing their respective duties.
Officer interactions with team members in other groups (for example, maintenance and operations) is manual, meaning slower turnaround times and more difficulty getting work done.
Shift sergeants have limited oversight on the location or real-time activities of officers, aside from radio communication.
When subpoenaed, officers have to sort through stacks of hand-written daily reports to find all relevant documentation, creating process and personal risk.

Timeline

Port Tampa Bay initiated a pilot project with Lightship on February 1, 2019. The purpose of the pilot was to digitize data collection with respect to a select few forms used in security operations. The pilot was a first step in potentially adopting Lightship to digitize all data collection, and to otherwise substantially automate security operations. The goal of the pilot, broadly, was to cut down on administrative workload, improve accountability and oversight, and streamline certain compliance and audit requests.

Feb 1, 2019

Start of pilot, including 10 officers across three shifts.

Feb 4, 2019

Two 2-hour sessions of on-site training completed with port security staff.

Feb 6, 2019

Active operational use of Lightship, beginning with digitization of data collection for daily activity reports, incident reports, and maintenance requests.

mar 1, 2019

Vehicle inspection forms added.

Jul 15, 2019

Cell phones are replaced with iPads to provide a larger screen for data capture.

jul 16, 2019

Three additional officers are added to the test group with no additional training required.

Feb 5, 2020

Working sessions with officers performed to debrief on pilot project to date, and to explore additional use cases and fully automating key processes, including officer-identified processes requiring information transfer between departments (e.g., regarding maintenance requests and access control), Lightship application features and functionality, and post-pilot implementation.

may 31, 2020

Pilot project complete.

Solution

27,000+

activities logged and tracked

2 hours

of training needed to implement

2500+

form entries completed

Port security officers used interactive, adaptive digital forms to complete daily activity reports, vehicle inspections, incident reports, and maintenance requests.
These digital forms automatically captured more detail, with time and user stamps, standardized pick lists, and a full audit trail of data modifications over time, providing a comprehensive record for legal and compliance needs.
The Port had access to multiple iPads with LTE connectivity, enabling data capture anywhere, anytime, throughout the officer’s shifts, meaning no information loss.
Officers and Sergeants could instantly retrieve and, if needed, print formatted copies of forms/reports for any shift or set of shifts, as required for review or documentation.
Location sharing and automated check-ins were available for officers to turn on when performing site or incident checks, providing additional safety and real-time officer oversight.

“Lightship has allowed our officers to focus on the things that matter most. Our officers and supervisors have readily adapted to the use of Lightship, and the company has been very proactive in training and support.

We will continue to expand our use of this automation in the Security Department and envision expansion into other departments.”

Mark Dubina
Vice President, Security
Port Tampa Bay

Results

100%

of logs, reports, inspections, and requests digitized.

45 min

of daily paperwork saved per officer on every shift.

700 hours

saved over the course of the pilot project.

Users love it
Feedback from officers has been very positive—they can’t imagine going back to paper.

Improved safety
Location sharing and check-in options give officers the ability to increase personal safety in specific circumstances.

Simple onboarding
Multiple users started using Lightship during the pilot with no formal training.

The tip of the iceberg
The pilot represents deployment of a fraction of Lightship features and capabilities for automating operations, maintenance, security, and other operations for great productivity, communication, oversight, and safety.

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