The APB moves more than 40% of its workforce to telecommuting in the first week of the ‘state of alarm’

The APB moves more than 40% of its workforce to telecommuting in the first week of the ‘state of alarm’

Palma

31/03/2020

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has moved 42% of its workforce to telecommuting within the first week of the ‘state of alarm’ declared by the Spanish Government in response to the health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 virus.

Within the first seven days following 14 March, the APB’s Information Systems and ICT Infrastructure Division set up 136 computer systems to enable remote port management and thus comply with the stay at home measures laid down by the Government. “It has been a resounding success thanks to the Systems team,” says its head, Javier Segovia. “There was no telecommuting culture at the APB and we had never needed to roll out the technological infrastructure required for it.”

This unprecedented technological deployment has been undertaken in partnership with Spanish consulting firm Ozona Tecnología and has ensured uninterrupted delivery of critical services and strategic infrastructures in the public ports managed by the APB.

The APB’s average headcount is 324 people, 40% of them office workers. Practically all of these staff along with personnel in the Port Police service and Maintenance department have been provided with computer equipment so they can work from home.

All of the APB’s organisational units, including Human Resources, Public Port Land, Secretariat and Legal Affairs, Procurement, Economic and Finance, Infrastructures, Port Operations and Services, Environment, Planning and the Port Police Control Centre, are continuing to do essential work for the operation of the ports remotely from their staff’s homes.

Electronic management

The APB’s e-Office is the contact point between the public body and its customers and users through the website www.portsdebalears.com.

Maintenance and maritime signals personnel are at home and can be called out if they are needed on public port land. Minimum essential services are also being provided by the Port Police.

All of this means the APB can keep running its five public ports in Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina which are an essential link in the logistics chain to ensure supplies reach the people living on the Balearic Islands.