Privacy Policy

Overview

Black Elm Operations is an internal employee application for Black Elm Coffee. This app is designed exclusively for authorized Black Elm Coffee employees to support daily operations, team communication, and inventory management.

This app is for authorized Black Elm Coffee employees only. You must have an active employee account to use this application.

Information We Collect

Account Information

• Employee name and email address - Used for authentication and identification within the app
• Employee ID - To link your account with your employment records
• Store location assignment - To show relevant tasks and inventory for your location

Location Data

• When-in-use location access - We collect your device location when the app is open to automatically detect which store location you're working at
• Purpose: Location data is used exclusively to:
  • Assign location-specific daily tasks
  • Show correct inventory for your store
  • Track equipment maintenance at the right location
• We DO NOT track your location when the app is closed

Camera and Photo Access

• Photos you take or select - For task completion verification and team messaging
• Purpose: Photos are used to:
  • Document completed tasks (e.g., cleaning checklists)
  • Report equipment maintenance issues
  • Share information with team members via messaging

Messaging and Communication

• Text messages - Sent and received in team chat rooms
• Direct messages - Between employees
• Message read status - To show when messages have been read
• Push notification tokens - To deliver message notifications to your device (Expo / Firebase Cloud Messaging on Android, APNs on iOS)

Device and installation IDs

• App installation IDs - Random IDs created on this device for this app install. They reset if you uninstall the app. We do not use Advertising ID, IMEI, or MAC address.
• Purpose: Crash-free session stats and issue impact in Sentry, and to send push notifications to the correct phone.

Crash reports and diagnostics

• Crash logs and performance traces - Sent to Sentry when the app fails or is being monitored, so we can fix staff-facing bugs.
• We set Sentry so it does not send extra personal details (no default PII such as IP attached as user identity).

Usage Data

• Task completion records - When you complete tasks and checklists
• Inventory counts - Stock taking submissions
• Maintenance reports - Equipment issues and resolutions
• Login activity - For security and access monitoring

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following business purposes:

• Authentication: Verify your employee account and grant access to the app
• Task Management: Assign and track completion of location-specific daily tasks
• Inventory Management: Enable stock counting and inventory tracking at your location
• Team Communication: Facilitate messaging between employees and teams
• Equipment Maintenance: Track equipment issues and maintenance schedules
• Operations Monitoring: Review operational efficiency and task completion
• Notifications: Send important updates about new messages, tasks, and alerts
• App stability: Diagnose crashes and performance issues so the operations app keeps working for staff
• Security: Protect against unauthorized access and ensure data integrity

Data Sharing and Disclosure

Internal Access

• Your information is accessible to authorized Black Elm Coffee management and supervisors for operational purposes
• Team messages are visible to members of the chat rooms you participate in
• Task completion and inventory data is shared with relevant managers

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate this app:

• Supabase: Database and authentication infrastructure (data stored securely in the cloud)
• Expo/React Native: Mobile app development platform
• Sentry: Crash reporting and app-performance monitoring (installation IDs and diagnostics only, as configured)
• Apple Push Notification Service (APNs): For delivering iOS notifications
• Firebase Cloud Messaging: For delivering Android notifications via Expo

These services are bound by their own privacy policies and security standards. We only share data necessary for app functionality.

We DO NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your data with advertisers
• Use your information for marketing purposes
• Track your location when the app is closed

Data Security

We take data security seriously and implement industry-standard measures:

• Encryption in transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS
• Encryption at rest: Your data is stored encrypted in our database
• Access control: Only authorized employees can access the app
• Row-level security: Database policies ensure you can only access data you're authorized to see
• Secure authentication: Email-based login with secure session management
• Regular security updates: We keep the app and infrastructure up-to-date with security patches

Data Retention

• Active employee data: Retained while you're employed at Black Elm Coffee
• After termination: Your account access is removed, but operational records (tasks, inventory counts, messages) may be retained for business record-keeping purposes
• Messages: Chat history is retained indefinitely for operational reference
• Photos: Stored as long as needed for the associated task or maintenance record

Your Rights

As a Black Elm Coffee employee using this internal app:

• Access: You can view your own data within the app
• Correction: Contact management to update incorrect personal information
• Questions: Reach out to management or IT support for questions about your data
• Device permissions: You can manage location and camera permissions in your device settings, though some app features may be limited

Children's Privacy

This app is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect information from minors. All users must be 18 or older and employed by Black Elm Coffee.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Significant changes will be communicated via team messaging or email
• Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

App-Specific Privacy Information

Required Permissions Explained

Camera: "Allow Black Elm Operations to access your camera to take photos for maintenance reports and inventory tracking."

• Used when you tap the camera button in tasks, maintenance reports, or messaging
• Photos are only taken when you explicitly choose to take a photo
• You can deny this permission, but you won't be able to take photos in the app

Location (When In Use): "Allow Black Elm Operations to use your location to identify store location for accurate inventory and maintenance tracking."

• Used only when the app is open and active
• Helps automatically detect which store you're working at
• Makes it easier to complete location-specific tasks
• You can deny this permission, but you'll need to manually select your location

Photo Library: "Select photos to share with your team"

• Used when you want to attach an existing photo instead of taking a new one
• You select which specific photos to share
• We never access your photo library without your explicit action

Notifications: For team messages and task updates

• Alerts you to new messages from your team
• Notifies you of new tasks or urgent updates
• You can customize notification settings in your device Settings app