Worldwide, between 70 and 80 percent of workers do not have a desk. Many deskless professionals frequently struggle to stay in touch with their employers since they spend the majority of their time away from a computer. The manufacturing industry’s hourly workers may monitor attendance, communicate with management, and access business resources using SMS on TeamSense, a platform without apps that were created with them in mind. A $4 million funding round led by Bonfire Ventures and including Operator Collective was announced today by the Seattle-based business.
Absence Management, a method for employee call-outs that TeamSense, a 2020 startup, claims has a 100% acceptance rate, is one of the platform’s capabilities. Employees can more quickly request time off from work thanks to it, and industrial companies can more precisely count their workforce. Additionally, there are communication tools, engagement and pulse surveys, an employee portal with access to internal resources, and a “text to apply” function for job seekers on the platform.
In 2020, just as the pandemic was starting, TeamSense was established. Sheila Stafford, the company’s CEO and co-founder, was exposed to manufacturing as a child and began her career there, holding positions at major producers including Whirlpool and General Motors. She told TechCrunch that, given her experience, she had three insights at the start of the pandemic.
The first was that hourly workers in manufacturing and logistics needed to resume their jobs because “you cannot assemble a vehicle from your kitchen table.” Second, numerous contact avenues, such as one-on-one conversations and town halls, were no longer feasible. The majority of employees lack a company phone and email account, therefore they are hesitant to download a working app to their personal devices. TeamSense is a text and mobile web solution that was developed to assist people in returning to work.
I’ve had to request that staff members download a work app to their phones,” Stafford admitted. “That’s a tall order. They pay for their phones, and along with the request usually comes a company demand to sign a bring your device policy giving the employer limited access to your data. Frequently, the answer to that request was “no,” but with stronger language. TeamSense employs links on mobile websites and SMS for communication rather than requesting that employees download an app.
Companies connect TeamSense to their HR system to onboard it. The first time an employee texts TeamSense, it verifies their ID number and connects it to their phone number. Employees can use TeamSense to send SMS texts to request time off, complete company engagement surveys, volunteer for overtime, offer suggestions, submit maintenance requests, receive important notifications like plant closures or benefit enrollments, and access documents like employee handbooks and company news, among other things. The program also uses artificial intelligence (AI), so if a worker messages, “I’m not feeling well,” or “My hip hurts,” it recognizes that they are trying to call for help.
Since “attendance is something a single site leader at a large manufacturing company can say yes to,” Stafford claimed that TeamSense’s call-out mechanism is a crucial user acquisition driver. Other sites typically join after it registers as a first site. TeamSense intends to expand by incorporating more use cases that could boost output. Traditional call center services like Continental Message Solutions and AMBS Call Centers are competitors of TeamSense, but according to Stafford, the company stands out due to its emphasis on building digital ties with employees.
Recruiting for TeamSense’s development and go-to-market teams will be done using the extra funding.
Partner at Bonfire Ventures Brett Queener expressed his excitement about the investment in TeamSense, saying, “We are excited to invest in TeamSense as they provide manufacturers, for the first time, a digital link that connects with and is accepted by all their hourly employees. Given the manufacturing expertise and sensitivity that Sheila and her incredible team possess and exhibit, we were astounded by the testimonials and happiness from TeamSense’s clients.
[Source of Information: Techcrunch.com]
[Source of Image: Techcrunch.com]
