For any public or private organisation looking to implement PSIM technology, the following lessons will help ensure a smooth deployment:
1. Identify operational goals and expected ROI at the onset
To help create the foundation for a comprehensive PSIM implementation, it’s important to identify operational goals up front to avoid confusion on how the technology will be used and to set realistic expectations. Operational goals help determine a starting point, define challenges and drive the appropriate steps needed for success. Additionally, by setting expectations around the anticipated ROI from a PSIM deployment, organisations can incorporate the projected revenue gain into their safety and security strategies and long-term plans.
Take the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to hosting its inaugural Grand Prix which was estimated to have an economic impact of GB pound 43 million ($70 million), the city outlined what it sought to achieve with its PSIM deployment. In doing so, the city was able to recognise potential challenges like what was the best form of communication among stakeholders for the project duration. Additionally, in outlining where PSIM technology would be used to address safety and security concerns around the Grand Prix, the city specified benchmarks for success, such as reduced response times to security incidents amidst the influx of visitors.
The lesson that Baltimore can offer is that to avoid having a PSIM deployment take too long or run over budget, organisations and agencies must have a plan that details how to overcome hurdles, meets benchmarks for success, and illustrates how much potential revenue an organisation can expect to gain with PSIM technology. To determine what those challenges and success markers may be, start by outlining operational goals.
2. Train the end user
In emergencies, time is critical and can be the difference between safety and disaster. PSIM technology helps establish standard operating procedures and step-by-step instructions based on best practices and organisational policies to resolve situations faster, smarter and more cost-effectively.
Instead of letting the stress around an emergency situation dictate the response or spending precious time analysing raw data, those properly trained in the use of PSIM technology can immediately leverage the step-by-step response instructions to resolve an incident more efficiently.
While PSIM technology allows safety and security professionals to address, analyse and resolve a potential threat in real time, it cannot be leveraged to its maximum potential if all relevant stakeholders are un-informed or ill-informed on its use. Because PSIM technology introduces an enhanced layer of intelligence by pooling data from a vast array of IT devices, networks, hardware and software, first responders and command centre operators need to have prior understanding of how they will access and ultimately act upon that expanded information. The lesson here: To achieve the greatest benefit, properly train safety and security professionals regarding how PSIM technology can empower them to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
3. Educate stakeholders early on in the process
Efforts to facilitate cross-departmental and/or inter-agency collaboration and shared intelligence can be met with resistance if it is viewed as a threat to one organisation’s jurisdiction, or if the benefits are not fully understood. To overcome this challenge, it’s essential to educate and secure buy-in from all relevant parties (especially IT) early on in the process. A PSIM implementation will bring together many different technologies, some of which may be integrated into the PSIM platform across different or multiple phases of the project. Ensuring all stakeholders are aware of the various phases of a project, how they will be involved in each phase and what technologies will be incorporated at what juncture is vital to the project management of a successful deployment.
For example, when Louis Barani, World Trade Center (WTC) security director at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, first suggested implementing PSIM technology to help improve the site’s security challenges, there were many questions and some objections. For the numerous agencies involved, such as the police and fire departments, there was initial resistance because they had never worked with PSIM technology and had their own ways of managing threats.
To overcome this push-back, Barani worked with each stakeholder to show the solution’s capabilities, the associated benefits and how the functionality would enable individuals to respond better, faster and smarter. The clear lesson: Education is critical to overcoming misconceptions around technology and asset sharing.
In short, we’ve learned that establishing operational goals and identifying expected ROI at the start is key in setting project expectations. It is essential to educate end users on how they will be able to do their job more effectively and efficiently. It is also necessary to educate project stakeholders to overcome any pre-conceived opinions or assumptions. As businesses and organisations get ready to implement PSIM technology, these lessons will help any public or private organisation ensure a smooth deployment.
Darren Chalmers-Stevens is vice president, EMEA operations for VidSys. To learn more about PSIM or VidSys, email: VidSysMarketing@vidsys.com.