WHO IS ONSOLVE? MIR3 Send Word Now OnSolve, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Clifford Abner Hopkins
5 years ago
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1 WHO IS ONSOLVE? OnSolve is the market leader of SaaS-based emergency notification tools capable of delivering millions of alerts in response to any type of critical or routine event anywhere in the world. MIR3 Send Word Now 1

2 OnSolve brings together 3 of the top solutions ECN Emergency Communications Network (CodeRed) is a portfolio company of Veritas Capital Veritas are a leading private equity firm actively investing in software, technology and communication businesses ECN joined forces with MIR3 in 2016 Send Word Now joined the family in 2017 Rebranded as OnSolve in

3 LEVERAGING MASS NOTIFICATION SOLUTIONS BEST PRACTICES 4

4 5 What is a mass notification solution? SaaS based tools that send & deliver important messages to anyone Anywhere in the world at any time on any device and receive immediate individual response with real time reporting and audit trail. 5

Use cases CRISIS MANAGEMENT Coordinate responses with executives using instant call bridging

communications Sales & Marketing Meet regulatory requirements to conduct drills and exercises.

Assure message delivery to staff no matter where they are located Track communications with audit

Hurricane & Weather events Ensure the right instructions are given and processes followed.

5 Use cases CRISIS MANAGEMENT Coordinate responses with executives using instant call bridging Manage incidents away from your desk Human Resources Employee Notifications Customer communications Sales & Marketing Meet regulatory requirements to conduct drills and exercises. Accelerate response to continuity events Simplify compliance reporting. Assure message delivery to staff no matter where they are located Track communications with audit trail Manage Evacuations Shelter in place guidance Alert employees about danger quickly. Hurricane & Weather events Ensure the right instructions are given and processes followed. IT Service Call IT Service Desk Prioritize by incident type and severity Automate communication by integrating with ITSM tools. IT Scheduling for on call staff 6

6 So you ve implemented a mass notification system... RECIPIENTS/ USERS NOTIFICATIONS/SCENARIOS CONTACT DEVICES/ STRATEGY REPORTING PERMISSIONS/ACCESS TESTING TRAINING 7

7 Great! You should be crisis ready then right? Ready, set.. 8

Arrrrgh!!!! Crisis strikes and you hear.

8 Arrrrgh!!!! Crisis strikes and you hear. People aren t answering! People are hanging up! I forgot my password! I can t find the notification! I forgot how to create a notification! We flooded our PBX with phone calls! Nobody got the text message! The group has been deleted! Is this phishing/spam? I don t know if they listened to the message! I sent the wrong notification! 9

9 TIME FOR A HEALTHCHECK! A closer examination is recommended to ensure your notification system is efficient, effective and crisis ready! 10

10 Contact Data Many people launch notifications during a crisis only to discover people are unreachable due to outdated or incomplete information. Is your data being maintained? Is it accurate and up-to-date? Are you gathering multiple contact points? Are you gathering specific criteria like job role, zip code for dynamic grouping. Your solution should have multiple ways to manage recipient data to ensure it is complete and accurate including automated data feed and self-update portal. 11

11 Notifications/Scenarios Do you create notifications ahead of time.? Are you utilizing a scenario library? Is you notification title clear and easy to find? Avoid codes and acronyms that are not needed. Eg. Shelter in place v- Code Blue ERT Hou 6May Are you clear and concise with your message and purpose? Are you distributing information, collecting information, do you have a call to action? Are you providing response options? Do those response options make sense? 12

12 Contact Strategy The goal is to reach the intended recipient, not just the device. Are you choosing delivery methods appropriate for the situation? - Eg. All devices at same time for active shooter versus escalation with time delay for weather warning. Are you considering the day and time? Sending to desk phones during a Hurricane on Sunday night is not effective. Are you utilizing call throttling to desk phones if needed so you don t bring down your PBX Are you using time delays and contact cycles? Are you using device specific messaging? 13

13 Branding & campaigning.identify yourself! Are you clearly identifying the sender? Do you identify department or function rather than person s name (Human Resources v John Smith). Do you brand s so they don t look like spam or phishing? Do your recipients think the call is a telemarketer? Do you use HTML banners/templates for company branding and to differentiate between crisis (or level of crisis) and operational messaging? 14

14 Distribution/Recipient Groups Are you creating recipient groups ahead of time? Are you using dynamic groups? Group membership is based on criteria/credentials and will automatically update if personnel move or change. Avoid the need to manually modify groups. Are you groups clearly named and easy to find? Do you conduct regular clean ups so you don t have unneeded groups cluttering the system? 15

15 Branded HTML 1. Address appears as: 2. Notification severity appended to subject line 3. Organization appended to subject line 4. Color-coded logo, with severity scale 5. Aesthetic formatting 6. Font formatted to improve readability 7. Pre-scripted message is clear and concise 8. Ability to add custom text

16 Evaluate your reports! While it s important to send a message quickly, the importance of knowing if those messages have actually been read or heard is often overlooked include response options! Are you evaluating and comparing your reports to gain insight that will help improve efficiency and effectiveness of future broadcasts? If there is a low response or confirmation rate it could be indicative of bad or outdated contact data. If nobody is being contacted it could be an issue with how the notification has been set up to contact people. If people are hanging up it could suggest a stronger identifier or message opener is needed. 17

Administration & Access Do you have too many /not enough admins/initiators? Determine ahead of time who has the authority to issue, create or modify alerts. Make sure you have back up initiators.

17 Administration & Access Do you have too many /not enough admins/initiators? Determine ahead of time who has the authority to issue, create or modify alerts. Make sure you have back up initiators. Review permissions to ensure users only have access to what they need in order to do their job Makes for ease of use Reduces chances of mistakes happening Do you perform regular clean ups? Do you have a change management procedure so that everything is documented about system changes/improvements? - This is important when personnel move and a new admin/user needs to understand why the system is set up the way it is. 18

TRAINING Do your staff train regularly on how to issue alerts? Do they know how to issue alerts if internet or power down?

18 Don t set it & forget it TESTING Are you developing and maintaining testing programs? Are your tests at least annual? Do they mirror real world situations? Do you campaign so employees understand how the system will benefit them? TRAINING Do your staff train regularly on how to issue alerts? Do they know how to issue alerts if internet or power down? Do they know what to do if they can t log in? Do they know how to contact support? Are they receiving the right level of training for their role in the system? 19

19 Questions? You can also contact Phone:

20 Thank You 21

Below are a few questions you should be asking when planning your communication strategy for potential employee threats:

Below are a few questions you should be asking when planning your communication strategy for potential employee threats: Introduction As an organization, one of your major priorities is keeping the people you employ safe. This can be a difficult task, especially if you aren t prepared. In order to best protect your employees