Revolutionising subcontractor management at FSH

As a facilities management provider for Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) in Perth, Serco faces a daunting task with over 300 subcontractors attending the site weekly to perform a variety of tasks. Each of these subcontractors is required to complete an induction, obtain relevant permits prior to their visit, and sign in when they arrive on site. The paper-based and labour-intensive approach to Serco's permitting process required manual emails and physical presence, making it challenging for subcontractors who had to fill in forms each visit. The COVID pandemic made matters worse, increasing paperwork, induction procedures, and proof of vaccination requirements, putting further strain on the permitting office and subcontractors.

Our FSH team needed a solution that would offer safer ways of managing subcontractors and work with real-time data and web browser access.

The cloud-based Rapid Global permitting solution checked all the boxes, providing a full audit trail on all insurances, licenses, and permits, and allowing subcontractors to view their permits on their device or at a self-service kiosk when on-site. The solution also allowed subcontractors full autonomy to onboard their company and personnel, process their inductions, and apply for Authority to Work and High-Risk permits online. Rapid Global's geofencing feature ensured that subcontractors could only sign permits when they were physically on site, enhancing security measures to prevent unauthorised site access and unsafe work practices.

Following the successful implementation of Rapid Global, FSH had a fully digitised permitting process and a significantly enhanced subcontractor management system.

The system has captured 221 subcontractor companies compliant in the system, 697 subcontractor workers compliant in the system, 971 company documents verified in the system, including insurances, licenses, and safe work method statements, and 3,393 permits processed through the system as of June 30, 2023. The application of a cloud-based system has also had a positive environmental impact, with a large reduction in paper usage and storage requirements across the hospital.

The team's efforts were recognised at our 2023 Global Pulse Awards, where they were awarded a Trust award, highlighting their commitment to continuously evolving and identifying new ways to improve our service delivery.