Lokale besturen

Using PowerApps to streamline training management for the Vlas Police District

At the Vlas Police Zone – which operates in Kortrijk, Kuurne and Lendelede – training is a key pillar in ensuring a high-quality service for the public. To simplify the process of requesting, approving and managing training courses, the police zone worked with Savaco to build a new training tool using Microsoft PowerApps.

Lien Dewanckel, commissaris

Situation

Manual process leads to frustration

Training courses form an essential part of the Vlas Police Zone’s quality policy. Every member of staff is therefore required to complete a set number of training hours each year. These courses are provided by the West Flanders Police Academy, whilst the police zone itself manages the processing of applications and approvals.

But what Commissioner Lien Dewanckel immediately noticed when she took up her new role was the sheer amount of manual work involved. “We were still working with physical folders, Access databases and a great deal of manual follow-up. Requesting, approving and monitoring training courses: it took up a lot of our time and energy. That had to change,” she explains.

This cumbersome process had its consequences: “We noticed that staff had no overview of their training requests, that errors were creeping in and that certain information was only available on a single computer. That caused frustration, both among staff and within HR itself,” says Lien. “We want to evolve into a dynamic team, and that requires a modern, digital approach.”

Approach

Step by step towards a new app

To reach a solution, the Vlas Police Zone followed the principles of good governance. “We wrote to three parties based on their reputation and organised a pitch using clear selection criteria. Savaco emerged as the best partner.”

Together with Savaco, the Vlas Police Zone developed a training tool in Microsoft PowerApps, linked to Power Automate. Both teams took a step-by-step approach to this. “In the first step, our HR team mapped out their entire operation in detail. We then set our priorities, which Savaco’s developers used as a basis for building the app. Finally, the app was extensively tested by our HR team and further refined.”

Find out more about PowerApps and the other tools in the Power Platform

Result

Ease of use and transparency

The result is an app that not only digitises a great many manual tasks for HR, but also gives all employees a clear overview of their training schedule. “The app is easy to use and runs on every employee’s work phone,” explains Lien. “You can immediately see which training courses are on offer, how many hours of training you still need to complete, and where each course is taking place. You can apply for a training course with a single click. After that, everything is handled digitally: your manager is notified, HR and the finance department receive a notification, and as soon as everything is approved, the training can be scheduled.”

Practical information, such as the mode of transport you’re allowed to use to get to the training, is also visible in the app. “That might seem like a minor detail, but it makes a big difference in terms of user-friendliness. Everything is now transparent and always available.”

Impact

More time to focus on people

The impact on the HR department is significant. “We’ve invested a lot of time in the preparations, but we’re getting more than our money’s worth,” says Lien. “Staff no longer have to keep contacting HR to find out the status of their training request, and a lot of manual work has now been eliminated. We hope to save the equivalent of a part-time role in the long run. That time is now freed up to focus on the people behind the training: talent management, bespoke training and the human aspect of HR.”

The app will also make it possible to develop a training plan for each job category in due course. “At present, a great deal of knowledge resides in people’s heads. We want to make that knowledge explicit, so that everyone – from inspectors to administrative staff – has access to the right training courses, including soft skills such as resilience.”

Open communication, useful documentation

According to Lien, the collaboration with Savaco went extremely smoothly. “We had weekly progress meetings, a shared document containing questions and answers, and open communication between our technical staff and Tom and Steven, the developers at Savaco. We managed to meet the deadline, despite a later start on our end.”

The way Savaco transfers knowledge is also appreciated. “We wanted a low-code solution that we could manage ourselves. Thanks to the clear structure and documentation, we can now make minor adjustments ourselves. But it’s reassuring to know that we can always turn to Savaco for further enhancements.”

We want to provide high-quality services to our citizens, who, after all, pay for them. It therefore makes sense that we use our resources efficiently and that we provide our staff with the right training to do their jobs to the best of their ability. This app helps us to achieve that.

Lien Dewanckel

Police Commissioner, Vlas Police Area

What really matters: high-quality services for the public

For the Vlas Police Zone, training is no afterthought. “We want to provide high-quality services to our citizens, who, after all, pay for them. It therefore makes sense that we use our resources efficiently and provide our staff with the right training to do their jobs to the best of their ability. This app helps us to achieve that.”

The new training programme starts in September, and the app will be in full use. “We look forward to gathering feedback from staff at that time and further refining the tool. But one thing is certain: we have taken a major step forward.”

Getting to know PowerApps

What can PowerApps do for your organisation?

Does this sound familiar: paper approval forms, manually filled-in Excel spreadsheets? Even today, every organisation still has plenty of manual, time-consuming processes like these. With a low-code tool like PowerApps, you can automate repetitive tasks and free up time for what really matters: your people, your business. Are you ready to streamline your processes too, or do you need some inspiration?

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