The Signoffs module can be used by companies that manage annual compliance on behalf of their clients, allowing them to request and gather the relevant documentation and details from contractors maintaining the essential safety measures on their properties. This keeps reduces the need for back-and-forth correspondence as it's all maintained and kept within Uptick.
Setup
Uptick needs to install the Signoff and ESM module for you to get started.
1. Apply permissions to appropriate security groups
Staff:
Can administer and bulk-issue signoffs
allows you to issue signoffs to contractors in bulk
Can process and issue individual signoffs
allows you to approve/reject signoffs completed by contractors. It also allows you to send signoffs per property individually.
Contractors:
Can Upload Documents
Can Delete Uploaded Documents
2. Setup accounts for your contractors
Contractors you need to send signoff requests to will need an account. This can be added by viewing their profile on Uptick and clicking the Send Invitation button. Contractors will need to log into this account to complete and submit signoffs back to you.
3. Add certification due dates to your properties
A 'Certification Date' field can be found on any property. This date tells the system when the annual certification is due for this site. Properties without this date will not get a signoff request issued for it and will be excluded from any processes in this module. You can apply this date in bulk via the importer.
4. Set up your essential safety measures (ESMs) in Uptick
Create ESMs in your system.
ESM Presets can also be created.
Go to the ESM tab of any property you want to maintain via the signoff process
Create ESMs for this property by either creating them individually or via a preset. You must assign the contractor that maintains that ESM in the 'Contractor' field.
Assigning an ESM to a contractor will tell the system who needs to receive a signoff request when the property's annual certification is due.
You can also create ESMs in bulk via the importer.
Great! You're all set up - the system now knows which properties require their annual certification maintained, when it's due and who services each ESM.
Staff guide for using signoffs
Issuing signoff requests in bulk
Each month you will bulk issue signoff requests for all properties that are close to their annual certification due date - the earlier you send them the more time your contractors will have to complete them. Every contractor will receive one email detailing which properties require their attention.
Go to Tools > Signoffs
Click 'Bulk Issue Signoffs'
Pick the certification month you wish to send a signoff request for.
Click 'Issue Signoffs'
Note: The 'Certification Year' represents the year in which you want to send the signoff request. It gives the system a reference point and allows it to give the contractor a 'certification period' for that current signoff request i.e a signoff request will say something like: "Signoff for certification period: 2020-12-08 to 2021-12-08"
If you wish, the email sent to contractors can be customised by going to Control Panel > Email Templates > 'Edit' Signoff Request email.
Sending reminders to contractors
Send reminders to contractor for resubmitted signoff requests using the following method:
Go to your Signoff page
Filter for the signoff requests you wish to send a reminder for
Use the bulk edit on the list to send a reminder email.
If you wish, the reminder sent to contractors can be customised by going to Control Panel > Email Templates > 'Edit' Signoff Reminder email.
Processing submitted signoffs from contractors
Signoff requests sent to contractors will eventually get submitted back to you from those contractors. You then have the opportunity to accept or reissue them if they haven't provided all the relevant information.
To process signoffs submitted to you:
Go to your Signoffs page
Click 'Process submitted signoffs'
Once you accept a signoff with ESM results added, the ESMs in your system will be updated with:
The last service result (pass/fail)
The service date they said they serviced the ESM
The signoff date on which the signoff was submitted from the contractor
If a signoff has passed its due date without a contractor submitting anything, you will have to 'reissue' the signoff which will keep that signoff open for 7 days before expiring again.
The statuses in which a signoff can sit are as follows:
Pending - Signoff request is sent to your contractor and is waiting for a response
Submitted - Contractor has submitted the relevant documentation and is waiting for your review
Accepted - You have reviewed and accepted the supporting documentation from the contractor for that property.
Expired - Contractor has not submitted the signoff, yet the signoff is past its property's certification date.
Disclaimed - Contractor has ticked that they have disclaimed the signoff for that site and are no longer servicing the site.
Trashed - You have trashed the signoff
Note: Reissuing a signoff will not trigger an email to send to that contractor, it will simply add it back to their 'to-do' list on their portal. Send a reminder if you wish to notify them.
Contractor guide for using signoffs
Once you've been issued a signoff request, you will receive an email that will tell you which properties are requiring confirmation of service and advise you to log into your portal.
Once you are logged in, navigate to your 'Signoffs' page via the left navigation bar.
This is your signoff page, it lists all the properties that are believed to be maintained fully or partially by your company.
The following information can be filled in on each property's signoff:
ESM's Compliance: The last compliance result of each ESM on that property
ESM's Last Service/Assessment Date: The date you last serviced or assessed each ESM onsite
ESM's Responsible person**: Who in your company actually serviced/assessed this esm
Notes: Any information you feel required to mention about this ESM. This field is required if the compliance is set to Non-Compliant.
Upload any supporting documentation
** Read more about setting a responsible person below
You didn't maintain this property for that certification period?
If you've received a signoff for a property you didn't maintain within the specified period simply:
Go to that signoff on your portal
Click the 'Disclaim this property' checkbox
Give a reason
Click 'Submit'
Want to send a message to the company that engaged you?
If you want to discuss something with the person that engaged you to complete this signoff simply:
Go to that signoff on your portal
Type your message in the 'Discuss' chat at the bottom of the signoff
Click 'Send'
This will send a message to them. If they respond, you will receive an email to the primary contact email address they have on file.
You should be submitting each signoff back to the engaged party before each signoff's due date i.e. end of the certification period.
You cannot edit a signoff once it's submitted or expired unless the engaged party resubmits the signoff on their end.
Creating a responsible person**
If applicable, you are able to set the "responsible person" on each ESM if you are not the primary APFS. This is required in order for your client to create a compliant AFSS document for properties in NSW, Australia.
The functionality here is still in progress, hold tight!