It's winter, an excellent time to deal with broken pipes.
The transition from old tech to new can be challenging, but it's time to toss out the broken pipes and make the switch from paper - where you've been - to real-time software and a data-driven solution - where you need to be. Sure, there are costs, but the effort required to turn around the proverbial battleship and the commitment to get-it-now-rather-than-later pays off at several levels and in real dollars.
Reason #1 - Make Your Money Work Smarter
How much time do you spend every day, every week, staring at data that tells you what you didn't fix or can't go back and change? When you multiply your bill rate or your aggregate staffing cost per hour by the number of hours spent doing repetitive, administrative tasks, the pain-to-reward equation is an easy hurdle to get over.
Reports from many end users substantiate the theory that it's possible to recapture a minimum three to four hours of non-productive time every week. Take away printing, scanning and emailing to enable managers and supervisors to spend quality time nurturing client relationships and attending to needs of your officers. Converting administrative time to customer service investments is just one reason to leave pipes and paper behind and switch to a data-driven software solution. There are at least four more reasons.
Reason #2 - NFC Technology is Here to Stay
At sites all over the world, officers conduct repetitive patrols and require simple means to confirm presence or compliance with work requirements. Near Field Communications (NFC) functions are available on almost all new Android smartphones or tablets, allowing the mobile worker to 'read' the programmed serial numbers of durable, inexpensive NFC tags just like toll road sensors scan the identification of a vehicle's toll road transponder. Within seconds, data associated with tags is displayed, transmitted and compiled triggering a variety of recording, reporting and notification processes. Tags cannot be spoofed or copied like barcodes and come in a variety of styles, shapes and forms. Android devices are becoming more ruggedized, less expensive and simpler to operate. With NFC tags, a company or contractor can sustain a variety of guard tour processes, asset inventories or compliance processes augmented with pictures, video clips and text. NFC is making smartphones smart and essential elements of the security manager's toolkit.
Reason #3 - You Have GPS and Really Want to Use It!
Rather than build a fence with GPS, put it to work for your accounts or organization in real-time. Use technology's power to leverage staffing resources, accelerate service delivery, and improve work performance. Take advantage of synergies between more efficient GPS-enabled devices and proactive software tools to track tasks, responders, and outcomes. Dispatchers immediately identify available mobile patrol units while documenting tasks and initiating service requests. Software locates responders who can be tracked as they accept new assignments, while they travel to sites, and then automatically compiles information to verify completion and compliance. Data is permanently archived, immediately secured and instantly reported using customizable forms, schedules and distribution lists; features you control. GPS also improves the value of Lone Worker Protection applications, which is another reason for tossing out your old pipes and upgrading to a real-time solution.
Reason #4 - You Want Lone Worker Safety Features but Don’t Want to Pay Extra for Them
The cost of regular wireless services - voice, push-to-talk and data - will balloon out of control when adding features and third-party solutions to support safety and compliance mandates. Rather than bolt on another application to your smartphone or tablet, give your officers an integrated solution that links programmable safety features to the same software that supports routine incident reporting, daily activity alerts, Post Order distribution, and messaging. Software enables, manages and reports a variety of Lone Worker features creating not only a real-time response and support capability but an audit trail to prove that measures were taken to keep officers safe. You can't get this from pipes, wands, or key-operated technologies, none of which works in real-time, which is another reason to upgrade.
Reason #5 - Real-time Means Now and You Like That
Old tech never tells you what's wrong when it happens, which keeps you behind the response curve. Make the switch to real-time data collection, real-time information sharing and real-time situational awareness. Don't wait to download. Get what you need to know, when you need to know it. Post Orders can be updated and distributed - immediately. Security officers read new Post Orders, bulletins or Passdowns - and you know they did - immediately. Messages, tour status, reports, activity alerts, emergency notifications - all move with the speed of modern connectivity - and satisfies the demands of customers and managers - immediately. Call receivers, dispatchers and even clients can see the status of mobile workers in a different building, across town, or twelve time zones away - immediately. KPIs can be gathered, shared and analyzed - immediately. Forms, features and functions can be customized, changed and deployed to the field - immediately. Can't do that with broken pipes. Learn 'management by exception' and completely change the culture and dynamic of chain-of-command reporting. Let technology tell you if your expectations are met. Give stakeholders precise feedback, timely reports and meaningful information.
Reason #6 - It's Here Now and Not as Expensive as You Think
I know, the title of the blog said five reasons but this is important and we're not paying for newsprint by the column inch. Funding change can be as challenging as making the decision to change. By focusing on strategic objectives, whatever they are to you and your organization and in any combination - retention, business growth, productivity or profitability - upgrading from broken pipes and paper systems to a truly integrated real-time, data-drive solution comes down to numbers, and more questions. Does the financial commitment pay off? What's my real ROI? How does this scale as needs expand? How does this adapt as requirements change? The good news is Trackforce has that data for you and yes, we'll make those broken pipe problems go away.
