Reevaluating Priority #1: Communication

People are thinking about crises.

How to prepare. How to anticipate. What to expect. When to expect it.

Since September 11, crisis management has become a critical component of business planning. Corporations, utility conglomerates, the aviation industry, the military and small businesses - all are anticipating and planning for crisis.

What makes a crisis plan successful?

A single word can make or break the effectiveness of a crisis plan. That word is communication. And the most effective communication tool of the 21st century is technology.

Reliable communication, internally and externally, effectively controls the flow of information between key players. It ensures smart, informed decision-making. It enables leadership to act immediately in the most critical moments.

To evaluate the effectiveness of an organization's communication skills in a time of crisis, leadership should apply the following measurements:

Speed: How quickly can communication take place with the desired audience?

Accuracy: Is the correct information reaching the intended recipients?

Reliability: Will the communications system work every time, regardless of the situation?

Flexibility: Are there any limitations to your communications efforts?

To communicate seamlessly in crisis, many organizations have turned to the latest technological advances. In the last several years, entities ranging from the federal government to Wall Street have turned to automated emergency notification systems for crisis communication solutions.

Automated emergency notification technology was first used by the nuclear power industry following the tragic events of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island in the late 1970s. In recent years, the software has evolved, improved and been utilized by a growing list of diverse organizations.

Essentially, the technology works like an advanced phone tree. It can be operated from a single personal computer and allows a user to send controlled messages (e.g., evacuation procedures, missing person alerts, severe weather notices, office closures, etc.) to a designated audience (e.g., first responders, crisis action teams, entire communities, etc.) of any size or location, all within a matter of minutes.

By automating the information delivery and response process, the technology eliminates the potential for a single point of failure and ensures that the message is communicated rapidly and consistently to a predetermined audience. Moreover, the software frees up valuable employees from routine, non-skilled activities, allowing them to execute more important tasks relevant to the crisis at hand.

Consider the advantages of notification technology using the previously mentioned criterion.

Speed: With the click of a mouse or phone call, messages can be rapidly distributed to thousands of cell phones, pagers, fax machines, emails and PDAs.

Accuracy: Users pre-record, or record in real time, voice and text messages that provide the latest necessary information. In addition, the software provides detailed reports confirming message receipt.

Reliability: Operational 24-hours a day, the technology is designed to retain an unlimited contact list and can be supported on- or off-site.

Flexibility: The software can be accessed from any Internet connection, allowing organizations to communicate with anyone from virtually any location.

Adding to its versatility, emergency notification software also can be used in conjunction with GIS (desktop mapping) technology to alert any designated audience or targeted geographic area. Operators can view digital, street-level maps and then send a message to a targeted city block, neighborhood or business district.

Conclusion

Building, maintaining and executing an effective crisis plan requires consistent evaluation. Every quarter, test your organization's communication ability using the measurements discussed above.

If you are not already utilizing automated emergency notification technology, consider trying an on-site system or off-site (hosted) solution. The benefits are significant and the software is growing more sophisticated everyday. In most cases, it is user-friendly and can be adapted to meet the needs of small, medium and large entities.

Finally, if you find breakdowns in your communication chain or find that you need to add another link, act quickly. Do not allow procrastination to endanger your ability to communicate in crisis.

Sidebar

Author Bio

Author Bio Bill Carman is a Vice President for DCC (Dialogic Communications Corporation), the global leader in emergency notification technology. He currently oversees all domestic sales efforts and channel distribution for the company's on- and off-site critical communications solutions. Carman holds a BS degree in Computer Science from Tennessee Technological University.

For more information, please visit http://www.dccusa.com.