How to minimize risk when modernizing public safety services

Susannah R.K. Heitger, Ann Solzak, Jill Willis

Minimize risk when modernizing public safety services

Public safety agencies are modernizing and incorporating system innovations to better keep their communities and emergency responders safe.

New technologies are helping public safety professionals more efficiently and effectively prepare for and respond to emergencies. Plus, across the U.S., regional agencies are consolidating and streamlining operations.

Change is everywhere, and with change comes risk – but there’s no room for error in public safety.

911 call centers can’t afford to go down while they resolve new technology glitches. Communities rely on immediate response from what can be a complex web of agency boundaries and response plans, and first responders rely on real-time data sharing to be as safe as possible and serve those in danger.

Effective communication requires that many software systems work together behind the scenes. Dispatch, mobile, records, jail, and court management systems need to be accurate, fully integrated, and up to date. Financial management systems with countless transactions in ticketing, fines, and other functions need to operate smoothly and error free. And let’s not forget that agencies need to administer public dollars responsibly and transparently.

Managing all the details successfully is a tall order, but it’s possible with the right expertise and support. Public safety and emergency management agencies can meet the demands of today without taking on unnecessary risk.

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5 ways to minimize risk when changing technology

1. Calculate total cost of ownership to eliminate surprises

Public sector agencies are understandably cautious when it comes to cost. For this reason, large software as a service (SaaS) companies can be particularly appealing at first glance. But SaaS companies’ initial price tags are affordable because of the business models they employ.

SaaS companies can keep their prices low because they offer large technical solutions with small implementation services. When modernizing, public safety teams need to evaluate a total cost of ownership by considering the initial cost of the software, understanding what it takes to implement the new technology, and taking into account long-term maintenance. Public safety agencies should understand the longer term software road map and whether future upgrades and enhancements will be automatically applied. If that process does not go smoothly or in a timely manner, costs can exponentially increase.

2. Remember that a change of technology results in a change of operations

Changing technology can result in major changes to business operations. Public safety agencies need to plan and manage these transitions during every stage of software implementation to effectively identify, address, and proactively manage risks. Otherwise, they can easily go over budget and exceed timelines.

Customized change management training and communication plans can help employees understand the reasons behind the change, engage them in tailoring software to the best business operations, and best secure the institutional buy-in that sustains lasting transformation. Training also provides the support needed to ensure the change rolls out smoothly and help leaders identify potential issues before they grow into bigger problems.

3. Understand that your current team shouldn’t manage change on its own

Underestimating the time, effort, resources, and experience required to modernize causes problems down the line. Public safety agencies shouldn’t expect current employees – who already have responsibilities and goals assigned to them – to manage a large vendor. Placing impossible workloads on one person or even an internal team certainly does not set up software implementation for success.

Unless employees have had direct experience implementing such change before, they simply don’t know what they don’t know. To avoid an expensive, time-consuming, and risky learning curve, agencies should assign a team of leaders, implementation project managers with experience and decision-making capability, and cross-functional users that are responsible for the status of the project.

4. Don’t assume software vendors will do the heavy lifting

Software vendors usually supply their clients with a to-do list and timeline for a successful implementation, but that’s often where implementation support services end. Vendors might assign clients many tasks to accomplish to successfully implement new software, but vendors likely have not planned for extensive support of agencies beyond the initial handoff. Vendors are not managing daily tasks assigned to the organization’s users and generally expect users to meet deadlines without much wiggle room or flexibility.

Public safety agencies might know what they need to do but not know how to do it. This gap between knowledge and action can cause a frustration for both parties as deadlines pass and implementation costs rise.

5. Hire someone to bridge the gap

Public safety agencies can bridge the gap between their organization and technology vendors by hiring support to manage and guide implementations and address the people, technology, and process changes together.

An experienced team can provide public sector expertise and on-demand project managers specialized in large, complex public safety technology implementations. It can also determine the questions to ask software vendors, hold vendors accountable, document and communicate decisions throughout the implementation process, facilitate meetings, help keep team members on track with implementation assignments, and keep a dedicated team of sponsors engaged and updated.

Modernizing is necessary, risk isn’t

With more than 50 years of public sector experience, our team can provide the knowledge and stability public safety agencies need when modernizing. We know vendors change often, and internal employee turnover can happen at any time. Crowe can be a dependable presence from vendor selection through successful go-live.

In order to best support government agencies, we created the Crowe Government Guide – a flexible, on-demand subscription service that gives you access to a team of caring specialists whenever you need it. You can make important decisions and implementations confidently with our customized services and a team of public sector consultants you can trust.

Constituents expect a lot from public safety and emergency management agencies. Crowe can provide the project management assistance you need to successfully modernize while mitigating risk.

With the right technology and support, it is possible to meet the demands of today and better keep your communities and emergency responders safe.

Contact us

Susannah Heitger

Susannah R.K. Heitger

Managing Principal, Public Sector

+1 312 899 5316

Ann Solzak

Ann Solzak

Public Sector Consultant

+1 317 269 6681

Jill WIllis

Jill Willis

Managing Director, Consulting

+1 312 606 7190