We’re a few months into the new year, and we’re all working hard to stick to our business and personal resolutions. For many companies that we’ve been dealing with one of the primary business resolutions is to develop, update or fine-tune their corporate safety programs.
This is a great thing and we couldn’t be happier that more and more companies are recognizing how vital it is to be prepared for any incident, threat or disaster. Not only does it give you a business confidence but it gives your employees reassurance that you’re fully invested in the company and its longevity.
So now that you’ve got a business continuity plan for your company and it’s been tested, updated and validated - what do you next? We want you to be one of the companies who takes things to the next level.
Going Mobile
Take a few moments to pull up your plan. How long did it take you to find your plan and open it? We timed ourselves and it literally took us less than 10 seconds. Seriously. This is because we’ve got our plan right at our fingertips - on that smartphone that we keep in our pocket and touch more times a day than we care to admit.
So think about this; why not put your plan on the mobile devices that you use throughout the day, at the office and at home? It only makes sense. Think of your employees - they’re constantly texting, chatting, Tweeting, Liking and sharing content on their many devices.
In fact, you know that if you really want to get a hold of any of your employees, the best way to do so is on their mobile device. So why not integrate this into your workplace safety communication strategy?
Push notifications do get a bad rap when it comes to the many social and entertainment apps we have on our mobile devices… but when it comes to incident communications there is nothing better than a targeted and focused message.
Smart push notifications allow you to send a message that includes GPS coordinates, a link to a map, photos, and details on what you want the recipient to do. Remember that numerous studies have shown that such notifications are read within 10 seconds of being sent. You can’t get this kind of response time from making a phone call, sending an email or walking around the office.
And let’s not forget the growing market of smart watches…. More and more of your employees are extending their mobile communications with watches that buzz, vibrate and ding when an important message is sent to their phone - this is something you simply cannot afford to ignore.
Remember it’s vital that you work with what your employees are working with. Back in the day, it was okay to send a fax, use an intercom alert system, or have a binder in central location. But now in the times of remote working, flexible work hours, geographically-dispersed workplaces and offices and the mobile environment - it’s time to change with the times and communicate with your employees the same way they communicate with one another.
Going Beyond the Plan
This is why we want you to take your corporate safety programs to the next level. You have a plan, you’ve tested it, you’ve updated it and you believe you’re ready. Now we want you to think beyond that traditional plan…
Take advantage of the communication tools you use everyday and forget about how you used to do things.
We are moving from the era of paper, binders, flipbooks and traditional alert systems - it’s the time of push notifications, buzzing and vibrating smart watches, and mobile employees.
