STRATUM
Intelligent Software for Unions
CASE STUDY - Unite the Union
The Brief
In 2007, two of Britain’s leading unions merged together to
form ‘Unite the Union’. The unification between Amicus and
the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) meant that
combined resources were enhanced, alliances strengthened
and powers increased to form todays ‘21st century union’
Unite.
The Transport & General Workers Union had been an APT
customer since 1999 and as a result of the merge with
Amicus, the unions were faced with the difficult decision of
which system to sustain, if any. In 2009, following a
challenging decision making process, APT was selected as the
overall supplier for the Unite membership system and
administration services. Stratum was chosen over other
suppliers for its extensive capabilities and its potential for
future developments, including web integration.
“
APT have always provided Unite with the
right tools to support our members. They
back this up by delivering a high level of
support in developing the systems, and
more importantly, by helping to get them
corrected when things go wrong, even if
this occasionally means evenings and
weekends.
Peter Irwin – Head of Membership
APT Solutions Limited
UK: 01952 214000
Aus: 02 9191 6333
E: [email protected]
”
www.aptsolutions.net
“
Web based and extremely user friendly the Employer Site
minimalizes training needs for the organisation
THE ‘Web’ SOLUTION
For potential new members looking to join
and wanting access to membership benefits
quickly and easily; or for staff needing
access to membership data or an
officer/organiser/representative requiring
certain levels of access, along with the
ability to update the database remotely, or
for members wanting to update their
details and view personalised information
online. APT Solutions believe that
supporting all stakeholders associated with
Unite is imperative and making everyone’s
lives easier through technology is essential.
Enhancing Facilities for Union Staff
On the 3rd June 2011 a brand new browser
based membership system went live. This
gave online access to all Unite regions
across the country through our ‘Stratum’
Staff Site, which enabled staff to have direct
and fast access to all of their membership.
Implemented alongside the Stratum
database was our web based reporting
tool. This enables staff to utilise real time
information stored within the database
quickly, easily and securely via the web.
Functionality within the reporting system is
comprehensive; it includes displays for
instant visual results, the ability to schedule
reports and much more…
Member Assist is a module within the
Stratum Staff Site. It is designed to allow
union staff to log calls from members who
need assistance and then be able to allocate
them to a relevant member of staff that can
provide support. The mechanism ensures
that all calls are logged with the relevant
person, providing to-do lists and
correspondence tracking. Should any cases
remain unresolved in house, they can be
escalated to our Legal Case Management
module, which also handles all the
members’ legal claims. Within this module,
an assigned solicitor has appropriate access
to pertinent information through a secure
‘Solicitor Portal’ area.
Providing a Service to Members
Encouraging and increasing new members
to join is a fundamental part to
organisational growth for Unite. At APT we
understand that data privacy is an
imperative part of the union system. It is
evident throughout the Stratum System,
that we are mindful of rules and the
legislation around this; starting from the
carefully
structured
‘Join
Online’
mechanism.
Having APT’s seamlessly
engineered ‘Join Online’ mechanism in
place provides Unite with a facility that
makes the members joining experience
quick and easy.
One of the many key facilities within
Stratum is the ability for members to access
their own details which keeps the union up
to date with changes to their contact details
and profile. Simple and secure access to
‘My Unite’ increases the probability of
members taking the time to update their
details regularly, therefore keeping the
Unite database better cleansed and gives
the union more control of updated
membership data.
Providing a Service to Officers
The Branch Officer Site was a streamlined
enhancement to Stratum for Unite in 2012.
Providing a convenient way for branch
secretaries to interact with the people they
represent, being given the impression of
control over the data when in fact the
membership team retains full control
through an approval process.
The Branch Site is an intuitive and speedy
way for branch secretaries to see important
information stored within the database,
whenever and wherever they want.
Whether they need to find a branch or an
individual member within the branch and
whether they are financial or not, APT’s
Officer Site produces this information with
accuracy and efficiency. The Officer Site not
only gives the right people the right tools to
update the database accordingly but
”
reduces the workload for Unite branch
secretaries, representatives and even the
union’s administration staff.
Providing a Service to Employers
After just a few months of discussions and
development, Unite went live with the
Stratum Employer Site. Web based and
extremely user friendly the Employer Site
minimalizes training needs for the
organisation. For employers associated with
Unite, this facility allows them to view all
important payroll deduction information
stored within Stratum whenever they
require.
Smartphone Access
Smartphone access enables all union
organisers to access membership data
instantly, securely and remotely whenever
they need to and straight from their
handset. Empowering unions remote staff
with this type of access carries many
advantages including the ability to
communicate with the members using the
data displayed, to make calls, send texts
and email while on the road.
Latest Developments...
APT’s Balloting Module is the latest Stratum
development that Unite is in the process of
taking advantage of. This mechanism will
equip the union with a secure online tool
for producing and delivering ballots, large
or small, local or national. These will be
quick and easy for the union to set up and
in comparison with the current paper
ballots, won’t be as expensive or as time
consuming for Unite. Moving to online
ballots will mean not only a huge cost
saving for the organisation, but will deliver
an efficient online mechanism to members
moving forward that will be fully compliant
with union legislation.
To contact us for further information please call: 01952 214000
ABOUT UNITE
Protecting the rights, health, safety and wellbeing of its members at work; today Britain and Irelands largest union ‘Unite’ is
supporting around a prodigious 1.4 million members. The union provides countless benefits for people to join, from enhancing legal rights, job security and training in the workplace to reduce the likelihood of receiving poor holiday entitlement and
maternity leave or even being unfairly dismissed from work.
APT Solutions Limited
UK: 01952 214000
Aus: 02 9191 6333
E: [email protected]
www.aptsolutions.net