Integrity Advocate &
Smart Serve Ontario

When you’re responsible for alcohol service training in a province of 15 million people, certification needs to be fast, simple and accessible.

That’s exactly what Smart Serve Ontario (SSO) needed. As the province’s official alcohol service certification provider, SSO ensures that anyone who sells, serves or delivers alcohol can get certified quickly and easily.

“We use Integrity Advocate to ensure that the person we’re certifying is the person receiving the certificate; that they’re knowledgeable about the requirements and not circumventing the testing process,” says Ellie Johnson, Operations Manager at Smart Serve Ontario.

By partnering with Integrity Advocate, SSO removed technical hurdles, streamlined administration and delivered a seamless certification experience for millions of workers across Ontario.

Key Outcomes

• Faster certification process – No scheduling, no waiting, on-demand access
• Seamless candidate experience – No app downloads, no access codes, no unnecessary friction
• Scalability under pressure – Easily handled a 20x increase in test volumes during recertification surge
• Reliable support – Quick issue resolution kept certification running smoothly

“Integrity Advocate works on all devices. We don’t hear any complaints, you don’t need to download any applications. The validation is very quick, the turnaround is very quick, the support is great, and it’s on demand. We’ve been very happy!”

Ellie Johnson, Operations Manager, Smart Serve Ontario

Challenge

With more than 40% of Canada’s population living in Ontario, Smart Serve Ontario’s certification program serves an incredibly diverse group of participants across 415,000 square miles.

“The liquor industry in Ontario is evolving…we want to ensure that anyone who is involved in it is doing so responsibly and knowledgeably,” says Ellie Johnson.

To meet these needs, SSO needed a solution that could:

• Eliminate unnecessary delays. The previous system required app downloads and scheduled sessions, making certification inconvenient.
• Ensure accessibility for a diverse workforce. Training had to be easy-to-use across all devices and available on demand, with no unnecessary technical barriers.
• Scale with demand. When the Ontario government mandated recertification every five years, test volumes surged 20x beyond typical levels.

“With our previous proctoring solution, you had to download an app, which people objected to. There was a scheduling component that was difficult, and there were concerns about where and how personal data was being stored,” added Johnson.

Solution

For Smart Serve Ontario, certification had to be fast, easy and ready to scale. Integrity Advocate delivered.

“We use Integrity Advocate to ensure that the person we’re certifying is the person receiving the certificate; that they’re knowledgeable about the requirements; and that they’re not circumventing the testing process.”

Ellie Johnson

• Easy, no-install proctoring – No downloads, no scheduling, no access codes.
• Universal accessibility – Works on any device, anytime—ensuring an inclusive experience for Ontario’s multilingual, widely distributed workforce.
• Effortless scalability – When Ontario introduced a five-year recertification mandate, demand surged 20x. Integrity Advocate scaled instantly, keeping certification on track without disruptions.

Results

Smart Serve Ontario has trusted Integrity Advocate since 2019, ensuring alcohol service training stays accessible, efficient and hassle-free.

In 2023, a new recertification mandate sent test volumes soaring 20x beyond normal levels—the kind of challenge that can break a system.

“Integrity Advocate was able to scale accordingly, which was amazing because the numbers were ridiculous. Everything went as smoothly as you could expect with the high volumes that we had.”

Ellie Johnson

A Partnership Built to Last

For SSO, certification isn’t just a box to check—it’s about public safety. Well-trained workers reduce risks, prevent over-service and keep communities safer.

That’s why they continue to trust Integrity Advocate. With a fast, accessible and scalable certification process, every candidate gets certified without cutting corners.

Because when certification matters, you need a partner who can keep up.