Case Study:
Web Platform and App to Manage Crossing Guards

A comprehensive digital system to manage crossing guards and a mobile app for direct communication which dramatically improved efficiency and reduced operational cost

ASP Security Services needed a system to manage crossing guards more effectively. Mawazo created one that far exceeded their expectations. The XGuard mobile App, provides intuitive features to assist crossing guards with managing their shifts and checking in and out for easy tracking. In addition, the XGuard Admin System provides the administrative staff critical management and monitoring features. A few months after implementing the system, ASP was able to reduce weekly operations by 50 hours and could deliver instant reports to their clients for increased value.

About the Company

ASP Security Services provides strategic security services and solutions. They serve clients across the educational, transportation, aviation, and public facility industries. The brand's parent company, ICTS Europe, is the second-largest aviation security employer after the US Transportation Security Administration. ICTS employs 17,000 workers.

One of ASP's subdivisions manages crossing guards for school children. The division's client is the City of Toronto. ASP is transparent with clients and strives to be responsive and accessible at all times. Maintaining healthy relationships with employees and the community is another driving force behind ASP's mission.

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The Problem

Cliff Sampogna, Director of Operations at ASP Security Services knew that they would require expert assistance to develop a crossing guard admin app to support his Crossing Guard Operations Team. Without the technical expertise in-house, the ASP team was looking for a vendor to advise on the system design and architecture. It was the first time that this division of ASP developed a technical system like this. After many discussions, ASP outsourced the project to a software company that convinced them that they would be their partner in this project. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The vendor did build the admin system and a mobile app for the crossing guards, however they did not take the time to understand what was needed, they took very long to develop, and often delivered software that did not fully function. ASP leadership tried everything to rectify the situation, however the technical company was not very responsive. The breaking point came after a conversation with the vendor’s vice president. It became obvious ASP was just another number, and not a valued relationship.

The XGuard system should have been a valuable tool for ASP and its client. Instead, it became a highly stressful situation and a public relations nightmare. Since it did not work correctly, it prevented the division from progressing for a full year.

The situation frustrated both ASP and its clients, as the vendor continued to claim that issues were being resolved. Continuing to wait could have impacted ASP's school contracts, which was a substantial percentage of the division's business, and would have negatively impacted ASP’s reputation.

Why Mawazo?

Cliff began looking for alternatives. The CEO of ASP put him in contact with Alex de Paz and Liza Rodrigues of Mawazo. Cliff explained his situation, and Mawazo started working on it right away, even before they met or had an agreement in place. They started with quick fixes that would help the guards to use the App and enable the ASP Admin staff to get complete fundamental tasks on the Admin System.

This type of solution-focused attitude really impressed Cliff. He said Mawazo over-delivered from the start. ASP experienced more results in a few months than they did after a year with their former vendor. The switch was seamless, and Mawazo supported their ASP every step of the way.

The Project

Crossing guards provide an essential service—keeping kids safe. Making sure these guards arrive on time and perform their jobs gives parents peace of mind. This role is invaluable to the community.

Crossing guards don't have a typical schedule. They work a few hours each day, broken into 2-3 shifts. Verify that hundreds of crossing guards across the City of Toronto are at their location, within a short shift period is not possible to do physically. However it is crucial that ASP can do so.

Mawazo developed XGuard, a system to manage hundreds of crossing guards on hundreds of crosswalks and for hundreds of shifts. An accompanying mobile app was part of this system, so that each guard was able to view their shifts, and automatically inform ASP’s Admin team of the real-time location of each guard using mapping technology.

These tools let ASP:

Communicate shifts and shift updates to guards in real-time
Remotely track the geo-location of crossing guards during assigned shifts
Improve communications with crossing guards in case of issues with their attendance, incidents at their locations, or any request for assistance
Generate instant reports, for the business as well as for the City of Toronto

Mawazo was also able to advise on how to improve other operational procedures that required a lot of manual work. They had several parallel systems that required sharing of information. Cliff estimates senior management spent a minimum of 10 hours a week processing spreadsheets. Administrative staff allocated up to 40 hours each week to the same tasks.

The Outcome

The new XGuard system had a profound effect on this division of ASP, with the reduction of daily operational hours by an estimated 50 hours per week. It also strengthened the relationship with their client, by providing a dashboard for the client to generate their own reports.

Mawazo created and implemented effective tools to help ASP scale. The client can now identify whether a crossing guard is at their designated location on time without leaving the office. It even lets the company view whether that person is safe and doing their job correctly. Crossing guards also benefit from the platform. They can communicate via the app, phone, or text. And if they have a problem, they can reach out to someone through the app to get an immediate response.

The service Mawazo provided left a lasting impact on Cliff. They accommodated everything he requested without hesitation. The Mawazo team was also extremely responsive. Mawazo takes the time to listen to their clients. They understood the problems ASP Security Services faced. When no one else could help, Mawazo took action to find a solution.

Based on the success of XGuard, ASP referred the Mawazo team to other divisions within the company. Mawazo has completed a full assessment of ASP’s “tech stack” and is advising on opportunities to improve other operations and reduce overall costs. In addition, Mawazo continues to develop custom applications to meet our business needs, and in improve the services we offer to our clients.

Working with Mawazo helped ASP Security Services raise its standards and keep promises to its staff and clients.

Testimonial from Cliff Sampogna, Director of Operations, ASP Security

I have worked with Mawazo on a very unique project over the last several months and I am completely dumbfounded by the immense professionalism and work they do. We had a need for some major improvement to a part of our technology and they stepped in and right off the bat made a huge difference. I worked directly with Liza, who has been an absolute star. I had high expectations and I can honestly say that they have exceeded them by far. I want to say a huge thank you for everything they have done for us.

Cliff Sampogna, Director of Operations

ASP Security

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