LONE WORKER PROTECTION
The inherent lack of a company-wide framework – or indeed top-down encouragement – to support joined- up thinking prevents departmental managers from taking a more holistic view. As a consequence, they inadvertently risk wasting valuable resources on solutions that could have a wider use across their organisation, or fail to optimise existing technologies used elsewhere in the business. Some companies are known to deploy multiple lone worker solutions – with individual departments each procuring different systems despite having similar goals. This is not only costly, but it is at odds with the widespread drive for efficiency savings.
Another common approach is to outsource the day-to-day management of lone worker solutions to a third party such as an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). The strengths and limitations of ARCs are widely understood. While they’re undoubtedly useful when a lone worker is presented with a physical threat,
in the event of a serious accident ARCs can be less effective. The model is hamstrung by constraints in emergency response procedures while there’s also growing evidence of workers’ anxiety that their safety is in the hands of a faceless call centre potentially hundreds of miles away.
Despite this, many companies naturally gravitate towards an outsourced solution without first considering whether internal resources might be better placed to help. By using a third party service provider, companies are not just outsourcing the lone worker equipment; they’re also outsourcing the people – the agents in the call centre – with all the associated overheads. More proactive organisations, such as Nottingham City Council, have recognised they have internal capacity that can monitor and manage lone worker communications as part of their existing responsibilities. This approach saves money, maximises resources and drives operational productivity.
So how do you ensure that your lone worker communications infrastructure is appropriate and cost-effective? The strategy must begin with a simple examination of who and where your lone workers are. The full profile of your lone workforce may include staff that you’d never previously categorised as lone workers. You then need to appraise the potential risks those workers are exposed to and examine whether your current infrastructure does enough to mitigate them. This cannot be done without proper consultation with the employees that experience that real- world environment and understand its nuances. This understanding will form the baseline of your plan.
From here, it’s about asking the key questions that will help you develop the most appropriate roadmap. How much am I currently investing in lone worker solutions? What coverage does this give me and where are the gaps? Could that investment be optimised by adopting a more integrated approach? Which technologies and services are best suited to my needs? Should I outsource or ‘insource’? How will I design and implement my plan?
It’s a complex exercise that requires the successful marriage of
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business challenges and a specialist understanding of the broad market for lone worker solutions. And unlike the job of the lone worker, it’s an exercise that cannot be carried out alone.
BETTER CONNECTED Of course lone worker solutions are just one piece of the telecommunications jigsaw. Like the individuals they are designed to protect, they cannot work optimally in total isolation. Organisations must therefore collaborate, both internally and externally, to develop an integrated telecommunications strategy that supports all aspects of business operations.
The best way to achieve this is through cross-functional dialogue with stakeholders from across the enterprise to ensure the strategy reflects the diverse needs of all parties. It is also advisable to partner with telecommunications specialists who can offer best practice advice to inform the plan and design the optimal solution.
A good telecommunications plan will be built on a full understanding of business requirements and a thorough knowledge of the diverse technologies that can help to meet them. Moreover, it will comprise a structured roadmap that chimes with companies’ long- term growth strategies, and has inbuilt flex to be able to respond to changing market dynamics. The value of an independent and specialist perspective in helping determine that strategy cannot be overstated.
PLAN TO SUCCEED Ultimately, an integrated telecommunications strategy truly can help companies align for growth. It can play a major role in driving a productive, safe and competitive workforce, and empower managers to make efficient buying decisions through greater visibility of the bigger picture.
Despite the claims of Iron Mike Tyson, not everybody has a plan. But to fail to plan is to plan to fail – and the bruises can take a long time to heal. Why take the risk?
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