Redding, Calif., Center Assistant Center Commander Sgt. 1st Class Ruben Garcia created an App using Google Maps technology to help his Center track placement and circulation of marketing materials used to spark interest in
joining the Army.
Recruiter Creates App to Track
Marketing Materials
By Cathy Pauley, USAREC, Sacramento Battalion
Sept. 30, 2014
The Redding, Calif., Center uses a Smartphone App to track the placement and circulation of marketing materials.
Sgt. 1st Class Ruben Garcia developed the app from an idea posted on the Facebook Recruiters Forum.
“I am not sure why nobody else picked up on it, but I created a PowerPoint, showed it to my chain of command, and it took off from there,” said Garcia.
Garcia, who has been the go-to person for friends and family concerning software, hardware, Malware, and virus problems, developed the program to fit the needs of his center. It includes data from the Segmentation Analysis and Market Assessment (SAMA) program. Using that data, the app is designed to target the exact areas Garcia’s team needs to increase prospecting.
Redding Company Commander Capt. Miles Sao said, the innovation replaces the “milk-run” binder, which recruiters were using to document when and where marketing materials were placed.
“The application will allow key leaders using their government cell phones to see where their recruiters are posting and prospecting,” said Sao.
Sao said Garcia and Redding Center Commander Sgt. 1st Class Craig Ascher have used the app to increase production at their center by 30 percent.
“They have positioned themselves to over achieve their mission for recruiting year 2014,” said Sao.
Garcia said his tool can be used anywhere there is internet connectivity. With built-in maps and input from on-line databases, the recruiter can gauge how certain marketing materials – such as Recruiting Publicity Items (RPIs) - work in any particular area.
“Currently my team does not have to worry about a paper canvassing binder getting lost or destroyed,” said Garcia. “In the event a new recruiter arrives, all he or she will need is the link to the form and spreadsheet to access data already recorded. It’s available via the center’s Gmail account.”
Sgts. Andrew Brashear and Nicholas Busse like the convenience of the program.
“When it comes to inspection, everything is there to see, and it takes less time to retrieve the information,” said Busse. “We don’t have to worry about carrying a logbook anymore. Tracking RPIs in a certain location is much easier.”
Garcia presented his innovation during 6th Recruiting Brigade’s Digital Recruiter Course in June and then briefed Maj. Gen. Allen Batschelet, USAREC commanding general.
It seemed to spread like wildfire said Garcia, who’s fielded calls and emails from the field answering questions about tailoring the program to meet the needs of individual centers.
“With USAREC pushing us to go paperless, this just seemed like the logical way to help with the move forward,” said Garcia.
By Cathy Pauley, USAREC, Sacramento Battalion
Sept. 30, 2014
The Redding, Calif., Center uses a Smartphone App to track the placement and circulation of marketing materials.
Sgt. 1st Class Ruben Garcia developed the app from an idea posted on the Facebook Recruiters Forum.
“I am not sure why nobody else picked up on it, but I created a PowerPoint, showed it to my chain of command, and it took off from there,” said Garcia.
Garcia, who has been the go-to person for friends and family concerning software, hardware, Malware, and virus problems, developed the program to fit the needs of his center. It includes data from the Segmentation Analysis and Market Assessment (SAMA) program. Using that data, the app is designed to target the exact areas Garcia’s team needs to increase prospecting.
Redding Company Commander Capt. Miles Sao said, the innovation replaces the “milk-run” binder, which recruiters were using to document when and where marketing materials were placed.
“The application will allow key leaders using their government cell phones to see where their recruiters are posting and prospecting,” said Sao.
Sao said Garcia and Redding Center Commander Sgt. 1st Class Craig Ascher have used the app to increase production at their center by 30 percent.
“They have positioned themselves to over achieve their mission for recruiting year 2014,” said Sao.
Garcia said his tool can be used anywhere there is internet connectivity. With built-in maps and input from on-line databases, the recruiter can gauge how certain marketing materials – such as Recruiting Publicity Items (RPIs) - work in any particular area.
“Currently my team does not have to worry about a paper canvassing binder getting lost or destroyed,” said Garcia. “In the event a new recruiter arrives, all he or she will need is the link to the form and spreadsheet to access data already recorded. It’s available via the center’s Gmail account.”
Sgts. Andrew Brashear and Nicholas Busse like the convenience of the program.
“When it comes to inspection, everything is there to see, and it takes less time to retrieve the information,” said Busse. “We don’t have to worry about carrying a logbook anymore. Tracking RPIs in a certain location is much easier.”
Garcia presented his innovation during 6th Recruiting Brigade’s Digital Recruiter Course in June and then briefed Maj. Gen. Allen Batschelet, USAREC commanding general.
It seemed to spread like wildfire said Garcia, who’s fielded calls and emails from the field answering questions about tailoring the program to meet the needs of individual centers.
“With USAREC pushing us to go paperless, this just seemed like the logical way to help with the move forward,” said Garcia.