If you are exploring a software based solution for your mass notification applications it’s important you understand which features are important and why. There may be items you hadn’t considered or specific technical requirements you have that will require customization so it’s good to have an idea up front of what to think about. What we’re going to talk about here is not only why these features are key, but how our specific notification solution accommodates them.
Reliability & Access
Will the notification system work when you need it to? Sending messages on a typical Tuesday afternoon is simple and easy for any notification system… but will the emergency notification system work when the local telephony system is under pressure? For any emergency or high priority messaging the ability to deliver messages when you need to is critical. Select a company that has the knowledge and capacity to handle high demand. If there is a local/regional event happening in your area you need to make sure your messages are delivered in a timely manner. Access Anywhere- How easy is it to create and send out messages from anywhere? With GroupCast you will be able to send out messages from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection, a mobile app (IOS or Android device), or a toll free phone number.
Ease of Use
This is pretty self-explanatory but this is a critical component. An emergency notification system has to be easy to use for it to be effective. When you think about all of the software you already manage you certainly don’t need another challenging tool to learn. You also certainly don’t want to be fumbling around with a complicated user interface in an emergency situation. If it’s easy to use you can get more out of it to get the desired results. GroupCast is very easy to learn and use. The web based screens are designed in a way to provide a straight forward interface that is easy to use during emergencies.
Multimodal Message Options
In today’s world everyone has their own communication preferences. Some prefer voice, some text, some email, etc. In the event your organization is needing to communicate high priority or emergency communications it is essential to communicate effectively and efficiently. A way to ensure emergency communications are received is to send them in multiple formats so you do not have a single point of failure. If you didn’t get the text for some reason you’ll be glad you got the phone call.
Specific Functionality
The ability to create contact groups is the most essential piece here because you’ll want to target specific audiences with a specific message. Using GroupCast you can create an unlimited number of contact groups so you can be prepared to target specific groups of individuals based on location, job title, department, floor, etc. Other important tools include situation specific message templates, language translations, recipient preference management, and survey tools. Reporting (In bold for a reason) With any communication tool it is essential that reporting of all activities within an emergency notification system be accessible. The GroupCast notification system will ensure your management team has all the relevant information regarding who sent the broadcast and how it was delivered to all recipients. For an in-depth look at the entire feature set and exact specification click here.
Granular Administrator Rights Controls
An interface like this with many features, multiple lists, and various user groups having access can get unwieldy if you don’t have complete control of all these facets. GroupCast supports an unlimited number of security profiles. Each profile can be granularly controlled to provide various levels of access to the system. The rights of each profile-type are highly configurable. With GroupCast admin controls we can limit who an admin can send messages to, when they can send messages, and in what telecommunications modes they can send.
Why is this so important? As an example- An organization has three locations- Location A, B, & C. The organization may want to send out a message to the entire organization so the admins at the organizational level can have access to send messages to everyone regardless of location. But the organization may also allow location admins to be able to send messages to the location they work at. So a manager at Location A needs to send out a message because an emergency is happening that is specific to Location A. When the location admin logs in they will only have access to send messages to the employees at Location A instead of the entire universe of profiles which could cause confusion.
Best Next Step: Talk With Us
Hopefully this gives you a good head start on your exploration of this technology. As you can see there are a lot of considerations because this platform is highly capable. For even more insight check out our blog titled “Finding the Best Emergency Notification System Vendor: Tips for Your Evaluation Process.” At any point in this process you can contact us and we’ll be glad to provide answers to your questions and customize the platform to meet your needs.
