An incident management system (IMS) can do a lot for you.
Whether you're charged with running a large-scale event or one million square foot property, an incident management solution helps you scale operations.
Well, the right IMS can.
There are plenty of systems in the marketplace.
Some are effective; some are not.
Yes, you’ll find several solutions providers that claim to possess the functionality required to do your job, only to see you’ve been misled.
There’s a good chance the software provider hasn’t spent enough time with industry professionals to develop a solution for your operation.
Here’s the thing:
We’ve gained some data over the years from industry experts like yourself, so we know the time, energy, and listening power it takes to design and develop software you’ll get real value from every day.
During this process, interesting revelations have surfaced.
Fundamentally, the most valuable piece of an IMS to the experts is if the system can help operations, inclusive of staff, perform proactively.
So, can your system help you effectively and efficiently create order throughout your property?
WHY CREATING ORDER IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Ask yourself, can your system create order?
Let’s break this down to get some perspective on the subject.
Different moving parts make up a system, whether useful or not.
Each part can be valuable (or not) on its own.
As a collective, though, how does each perform when working to create order on your property?
- Do you find the solution to be lacking?
- Do you find your ability to mitigate incidents, communicate with staff, or handle your property’s operation, limiting?
It’s frustrating.
You think you have a system with “advanced” functionality, and while separately, these functions are great…but when it’s ‘game time,’ it isn’t useful and lacks functionality.
That’s not Proactive Operations.
That’s why you need an incident management system designed, developed, and continuously enhanced to create order.
One that is based on the needs of your industry, profession, and operation.
Think about it.
For your operation, you have a team of people.
Personnel and departments might vary from Conferences to Healthcare to Entertainment to Security Services.
You could staff the following:
- Police
- Fire Rescue
- Security
- Parking Operations
- Information Technology
- Engineering/Facility Maintenance
- Housekeeping
- Concessions
- Dispatchers
Or, your personnel could make up an array of other job functions.
But this is merely a list of operational functions without order either way.
If each of your personnel can’t perform together in an organized, well-trained, proactive, and ordered manner, performance suffers, or worse, operational disarray takes over.
The same concept goes for the incident management system you implement.
Like your operation, every aspect of your incident management solution needs to work together to create order at your property in the midst of everything occurring.
DEVELOP AN INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT ORDER
Restructure personnel into a unified operation.
Introduce proactive procedures and protocols-to-handle and then introduce incident management software designed to help you create the order you need.
Do this, and answering our one vital question with a “Yes” will be easy.
Your system will be able to create order.
Identify your departments or personnel and how information should efficiently flow between your teams.
This process is critical and where many operations are deficient.
But, once you define how critical information must be communicated – things will change for the better.
How Your Incident Management System Produces Order
The similarities between your infrastructure and solution are apparent.
A progressive system should mirror the needs of adequate infrastructure and processes.
We know this because we’ve been working with proactive professionals like yourself to develop a system that does just that – create order.
Creating order comes with first-class functionality and with structure.
It has a purpose.
Your well-organized operation and progressive incident management solution combine to create order.
Now, that’s Proactive Operations.
The two work together, and the result leads to the ability to effectively and efficiently manage incidents and issues at your property.
A system designed for ‘order’ will give you the ability to enter incidents or issues into the system in seconds.
This ability limits the time it takes to move vital information to the next step.
It also prevents confusion because unnecessary chatter is removed, allowing for effective management.
All personnel will have the ability to view and manage their associated information.
This also reduces the unnecessary chatter we mentioned above.
Do you see how the order comes together now?
All incidents coming into your system, and their associated details, will be viewable and manageable by all personnel, simultaneously.
Segmenting screens allow personnel to focus on their incidents or issues while creating a streamlined flow of information.
- Everyone is working on their respective responsibility
- Everyone is focused
- Everyone is working together to ensure operational order is maintained, so nothing slips through the cracks
See how the unity of both a system and operation leads to order at your property?
You can even enhance your ability to know what's going on by adding live mapping software into your arsenal.
OVER TO YOU
Having an incident management solution is excellent. But if the system’s functionality does not work together with your operation to create order, it’s time to reevaluate!
Much like having a great team of individuals, the individuals are only as effective as how they work together as a team to perform well.
So, can your incident management system help you create order on your property?
Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness and freshness.
