Why We Love Documentation (And Facility Managers Should, Too!)

Ever get that feeling looking for incident details from three years ago is like searching for a needle in a hay stack? What if the stack isn’t really a stack [of papers]? It’s more like the extensive memory bank in the back of your mind, because you thought you’d remember everything.

All it takes is the slip and fall to distract you from that thing…you know that ‘thing’ you were going to remember for your report? Forgetting important incident details, well that’s bad for business – we’d say!

That’s why we “heart” documentation. BIG TIME.

As a facility manager you must have the ability to document incident details before your memory gets the best of you. A paper trail compels you to make effective decisions. Bad decisions, well, those are bad for business too.

Put policies and procedures in place and empower your staff to take ownership. Give them the tools and hold them accountable. Get everyone in communication and watch your operation thrive.

Check out four examples of procedures (or protocols) to put in place at your facility today - at ISS 24/7 we call it 'workflow'.

1. Specific incidents will automatically generate a text, email, or conference call with need-to-know staff.
2. Once a supervisor 'locks' an incident, it cannot be amended without approval.
3. All written or audio witness statements must contain a digital signature.
4. Patron, guest, or visitor information (e.g. photo, driver license, and identifying marks) must be recorded in an associated person database for liability purposes.

Here are four tools you, your managers and staff can use to eliminate pen and paper, and start getting digital.

1. A cloud based incident management system. That way, staff can access information from anywhere.
2. Central digital repository for all incident details. Your one stop shop for all your historical data needs.
3. Automation. All your fancy protocols can work themselves out...automatically.
4. One-click reporting. Customize your data, and analyze it so you can use it and communicate it.

Are you seeing the big picture yet? Documentation provides you – the facility manager – with some cool facts and insight into how your machine is working. You’re doing some powerful stuff now, because you can communicate to your staff effectively.

Here’s the lotto winner though, with the documentation you can now analyze what’s happening! Is this exciting or what?! Think off all the possibilities! Anything from pictures, video, reports, and even signatures can give you what it takes to be a facility management machine. You can do it (Rob Schneider voice from Water Boy)!

You can become one never ending cycle of awesomeness or continue through the frustrations of inefficiency. You choose which cycle you’d prefer. We hope you choose ‘awesomeness’ or efficiency. Efficiency is cool. We like cool.

All these factors matter. Here’s why. You can’t communicate what you don’t know. You can’t know what you haven’t analyzed. The ringer…you can’t analyze what you don’t own. Own? Yes, own. If you don’t document it, you don’t own it. When that court order comes in the mail, there’s no “documentation rain dance” that’ll make everything appear.

If we haven’t made our point clear enough yet, then here’s the kicker.

If something isn't documented in a lawsuit, you, your staff, your place of business didn't do it. ‘Memories’ aren't reliable (Wait, what were we talking about?). Good intentions don't even make it into the courtroom.

To make matters worse, poorly documented incident details can increase your facility's liability. Poor documentation communicates to the jury that your personnel just don’t find it important to apply your policies...ugh, or worse, your facility was simply negligent.

Don’t give the jury ammunition. Give them nothing [besides accurate documentation].

Click here to see how we can help all your documentation woes disappear.