There’s a nationwide outcry to reopen the country and put people back to work. And yet, even as owners and employees alike long for life to get back to some semblance of normal, there’s plenty of anxiety to go around. No employee wants to get sick. Certainly, no company owner wants to put their people at risk—nor do they want to be held liable if an employee does get sick.
That’s why companies are doing everything they can to mitigate the risk and calm the anxiety that comes along with it. It’s why they’re creating highly detailed safety plans, including sanitizing facilities, providing protective equipment, even working toward testing all employees for COVID-19. And it’s why almost all of these plans include social distancing—even as many companies wrangle with how to make it happen.
New York-based consulting firm FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency has been hard at work figuring out how to help workers feel more in control (and thus, less anxious) regarding the requisite six-foot safety zone. They’ve developed a unique, easy-to-use, secure social distancing app that helps your employees keep their distance at work.
The Social Safety App is currently available in beta form by application, which can be accessed at http://SocialSafety.app. Anyone who wants to be part of the social distancing app’s limited beta release may click here to apply.
FROM’s usual work involves creating shopping, travel, and entertainment apps for clients like Avis, NBC, and Verizon, but as the pandemic was breaking, they turned their attention to using technology to keep people safe in the workplace, says CEO Howard Tiersky.
“Being right here at the epicenter in New York, our team really wanted to find a way to help,” he explains. “When it was clear the situation was becoming bad, we applied our own innovation consulting practices to try to identify ways we could use our own skills and assets to bring something to market that would benefit those challenged by the situation. That’s how our social distancing app was born.”
Anis Dave, CTO of FROM and architect of the app, says speed was of the essence as the agency considered ways they could use digital technology to encourage employees to stay at a safe distance from one another.
“It was important to us to provide an easy-to-use product with a fast turnaround,” notes Dave. “We knew we could solve a problem that a lot of businesses would be struggling with over the coming months.”
Here’s how Social Safety works: The employee installs the app on their phone and wears it on an armband while they attend work. If employees come within six feet of each other, Social Safety alerts them through beeps, vibration, and light display. As employees get closer together, the sounds and display become more urgent so there is no ambiguity or confusion about what to do. Visit http://SocialSafety.app to view a video demonstrating the app in action.
FROM’s social distancing app also keeps a secure, private record of accidental close contact between people at your business, so that in the case of infection, you will be able to warn employees of their potential exposure risk for self-quarantine purposes.
“This social distancing app is another great tool for offering protection and peace of mind,” says Tiersky. “People can relax a little and get their focus back on their work, where it needs to be.”
Howard Tiersky is CEO of FROM. His company has helped develop innovative new products for a wide range of companies ranging from Amazon to Verizon and also including brands such as Sesame Workshop, A&E, NBC, The Shubert Organization, Avis, and some of the largest banks and sports leagues in the world. He is the author of a best-selling book and has been named by IDG as one of the “Top 10 Digital Transformation Influencers to Follow Today.”
Anis Dave is SVP and CTO at FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency. With over 18 years of experience in the areas of technical architecture, software development, project management, and digital transformation, Anis is highly skilled in leading complex digital initiatives. Anis has driven large projects for leading brands including the NFL, Verizon, NBC Universal, A&E Networks, Airbus, Sesame Street, Constellation Energy, and Mattel in the areas of digital strategy, cloud strategy, design and implementation of mobile apps and web apps, conversion optimization, technical architecture, agile process implementation, internet of things, augmented reality, virtual reality, and e-commerce platforms. He has deep expertise in complex solutions that integrate multiple large platforms. He lives in Florida with his loving wife and two kids.
